


That Lazy Guy is a Mangaka?!

by AkiDreams



Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga), 月刊少女野崎くん | Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angels, It's Gekkan Shoujo lol, It's a peaceful and happy world, Mangaka AU, School Clubs, club rivalry, cuz its funny, deadlines, everyone is messing around, no supernatural, no vampires (sorry)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-20
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2018-08-16 05:00:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 49,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8088187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkiDreams/pseuds/AkiDreams
Summary: Mahiru only wanted to live a simple life, getting through high school with his good friends. After an encounter with a NEET (who isn't really a NEET?), he is dragged into the crazy world of manga production where he must fight in a war against...DEADLINES?! Join Mahiru, Kuro and everyone else as they try to get through everything with minimal collateral damage to the school and careers~! (Who am I kidding, destruction awaits~!)Alternatively, the Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun AU that nobody asked for~!





	1. My classmate, the mangaka.

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome, whoever decided to click on this :D (creative title/summary is "creative" - lolwut)
> 
> Literally this idea popped out of nowhere one day, and I wanted to get it out before the anime ends (tomorrow *cry*) So forgive me if there are any errors or OOC-ness :6
> 
> Starts off kinda slow(?) but I hope you'll enjoy my attempt at increasing the fic count under these categories~!

"I cannot take this anymore!!"

The cry of frustration came from a boy with chocolate brown eyes and equally brown hair as he slammed his pencil down. From the other side of the desks, his friends looked up in confusion.

"What's wrong, Mahiru?" The one with curly brown hair asked in concern.

"You talking about this worksheet? Yeah, I never want to see another quadratic equation in my life either." A rough-looking boy with blond hair groaned.

"Not the math! I mean that guy over there!"

The two looked over at the spot their friend was pointing at. A student was quietly sitting at the back by the open window with their head in their arms. There did not appear to be anything particularly interesting about that guy other than the blue jacket he wore on top of his school uniform. Its hood has black fur lining that stuck upward like cat ears for some reason.

"...You don't like cats?"

"You jealous he took the main character spot by the back window?"

"What? NO!" Mahiru answered in the same annoyed tone. "Koyuki, Ryuusei, can't you two see what he's doing there?!"

"Sleeping." The two answered without hesitation.

"Exactly!! I've been watching since this morning and all I've seen is him sleep through every class!" Mahiru ranted. "High school students should be taking their studies seriously and thinking about their futures and—"

As Mahiru continued his long speech, Koyuki leaned over to whisper to his blond friend.

"Ryuu-chan, it looks like that boy over there triggered Mahiru's mother hen mode...that poor guy."

"Yeah...well I'm still trying to get over the fact that Mahiru admitted he has been watching some person sleep all day." Ryuusei responded. "He sure is paying a lot of attention to that guy."

"You think that there's something going on?"

"Dunno. Whatever it is, Sakuya is missing out right now."

As the two continued whispering to themselves and Mahiru ranting to a non-existent audience, the three friends failed to notice their teacher had returned from wherever teachers disappear to when they want a break from their students. Long purple hair flowing behind her, the teacher stepped through the door and looked around the classroom. Her intense gaze drew terror from the poor students that she glanced over, before landing on the three oblivious friends.

"You three over there! Class is starting. Get back to your seats!"

"We're sorry!" The three quickly scrambled back to their seats in fear of incurring their teacher's wrath.

"...I'm not mad..."

* * *

 

_Brrriiiinnnnnggggg._

Hearing the school bell, the formerly quiet classroom quickly exploded with movements and chattering. It was as if the whole room had just woken up from a long slumber. While many dashed out the door to compete in what was universally known as the " _Japanese Lunchtime Rush_ ", Mahiru and his friends sat peacefully at their desks waiting. Or rather, they were until Mahiru once again glanced back at the hooded figure resting innocently at the back of the room.

"You're staring at that no-name guy again." Ryuusei commented, sitting with his legs propped up on the desk in front of him. "It's starting to creep me out a bit."

"I'm not staring; I am just disapproving of his lifestyle from afar." Mahiru replied. "Also his name is Kuro."

"How do you know his name?"

"I paid attention during roll call."

Now that the student was sitting up, it was easy to see his light blue hair and unhealthy complexion peeking out from underneath his hood. His eyes were bloodshot with dark bags under them. In front of him stood a cup of steaming instant noodles and a can of soda. It was almost as if he was the walking personification of bad lifestyles. Of course, this brought Mahiru's mother hen (housewife) mode back in full blast.

"That's it! I cannot take any more of his unhealthiness!" Mahiru stood up abruptly.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Ryuusei answered.

"Thinking simply, I'll just go there and confront him!"

"...Mahiru, that's thinking a bit too simple…" Koyuki pointed out. "Plus, we have to go eat lunch too. Sakuya should be here any moment now."

"It's fine! It'll only take a minute!" Mahiru answered. "I'll just head over now and—"

"Mahiru~!" A giant carrot ran into the room and pounced on the unsuspecting Mahiru. Looking closer, it was actually a green-haired boy wearing an orange jacket who jumped and caught a surprised Mahiru in a one-armed hug.

"Sakuya! Don't scare me like that!"

"Heheh, sorry~ sorry~" The green-head answered without a hint of remorse. "Ready to head to the roof? I'm starving!"

"H-hey Sakuya, hold o—"

Before Mahiru could finish his sentence, he was already pulled out the door by his best friend, Koyuki and Ryuusei in tow. He still managed to shoot a glance at the figure sitting at the back of the room with his junk food. A look that did not go unnoticed by his three friends, in fact.

Walking casually towards the school rooftop with their lunches in hand, the group of 4 talking about both everything and nothing. It was a warm and calm day, perfect for enjoying a break under the sun. Right before they reached the door to the roof, Sakuya suddenly spoke up in a serious voice.

"Mahiru. I think you should stay away from that guy with the blue hoodie."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" A confused Mahiru turned around to look at his best friend.

"The guy you were watching in the classroom just now." Sakuya said. "He's bad news."

"Kuro? I agree that his eating and sleeping habits aren't good, but surely he doesn't seem that bad."

"His school records are a mess, always skipping or sleeping in class. There are students who have heard him mumbling suspicious things on his own."  Sakuya whispered conspiratorially. "He keeps knives and a camera full of suspicious photos in his bag, they say. Those eye bags and glare of his aren't helping his case either. He has to be hiding something big!" 

"W-well—"

"And that's not even the worst of it." Sakuya continued, as the other three listened with immense interest. "Every few days, he comes to school with bandages all over his body. People suspect that he is always getting into fights around town."

"That sounds horrible!" Koyuki gasped. Beside him, Ryuusei stood there with a skeptical expression.

"Now...just how much of that was a lie~?"

"Sakuya!" Mahiru chided as he smacked the green-haired jokester in the back of the head. Sakuya just laughed as he stumbled onto the rooftop.

After that, the four friends had a peaceful lunch, the earlier conversation all but forgotten.

"Man~ I was so scared when the teacher glared at us in class just now!" Ryuusei sighed as he flopped down onto the roof.

"She always looks so angry when we don't listen!"

"Eh? Eh~? Koyuki, Ryuusei, what the story~?" Sakuya asked as he skipped over to the two. "Sounds interesting~"

In the background, Mahiru sat there eating his homemade lunch, watching in fond exasperation as his friends made a ruckus.

* * *

 

Afternoon classes posed another great challenge to the poor students sitting in the classroom. The sun was shining brightly outside, with a gentle breeze enticing people to take a nap. Outside, the sound of carefree birds and young children playing drifted through the air. In contrast, the classroom was filled with the monotonous voice of the teacher and a heavy atmosphere that only confusing lessons at school could cause.

Mahiru paused in his note-taking to glance at the other students around him. Koyuki was diligently paying attention in class, albeit looking considerably lost. Beside him, Ryuusei propped his head up with an arm while glancing at the clock every few minutes. A blatantly bored expression was on his face as he tuned out the teacher's voice.

Feeling curious, Mahiru then took a peek behind him at Kuro. The blue-haired boy was sleeping soundly, unsurprisingly. His textbook was standing upright on his desk in a pitiful attempt to hide his face from the teacher's view. Around him, various pens and pieces of paper lay carelessly.

Even as the bell rang and the students were released from the cage known as school (for now), Kuro continued to sleep. Mahiru stood up, ready to walk up to him like he wanted to all day.

"Hey Mahiru, we're heading to the convenience store! You and Sakuya coming?" Ryuusei called out loudly from the doorway.

"Sorry guys! I have something to do today. Go on without me!"

"Aren't all clubs cancelled toda—"

"Ok! We'll go and tell Sakuya not to wait up for you!" Koyuki interrupted, with an elbow jab to Ryuusei's side. Dragging his confused friend out the door, he yelled back to a stunned Mahiru. "Good luck with your confession!"

"It's not a confession!" Mahiru shouted back. Unfortunately for him, his two friends had already run off too far for them to catch that. Sighing, Mahiru turned around and continued his journey towards the sleeping student. For a fleeting moment, he wondered how he should approach the other.

 _There's no better way than to simply go and wake him up!_ Mahiru decided.

Mahiru stopped beside the hunched over Kuro and loudly rapped his hand on the desk.

"Kuro! Wake up!"

A groan was heard. The blue hood shifted ever so slightly to reveal one red eye with dark bags under it peeking out questioningly.

"....Who're you..."

"Shirota Mahiru. 15 years old. I like simple things and dislike troublesome things. Also your classmate who can't stand your habits after watching you in class today."

"...Stalker?...Can't deal..."

"Who are you calling a stalker?! And don't go back to sleep! As a student you should not sleep all day in class!" Mahiru exclaimed, annoyed. As he spoke, he slammed his hand down roughly on the desk. "And your eating habits! Who eats instant no—"

A clattering sound broke Mahiru out of his long lecture. Kuro's pencil case and can of soda had been knocked over when Mahiru slammed his hand down. The two looked down to see the split drink slowly spreading across the papers carelessly lying around. The once clean papers were now stained a murky brown.

"Ah...my manuscript..." Kuro wailed in an unmotivated and flat tone. "It's ruined..."

"S-Sorry! I didn't mean to do that!"

"Looks like there is no way I can finish today..." Kuro called out, sounding not at all in despair. "I'll just go home and sleep then..."

Kuro moved to get out of his seat and exit the classroom listlessly before he felt a hand grabbing onto his sleeve. Glancing over at the culprit, he did not like the look full of determination staring back at him.

"You shouldn't miss your deadlines!"

"I can't redo so many pages in a day...better to just leave it..."

"Thinking simply, it was my fault so I will help you fix it!" Mahiru confidently stated. "Even we can't do it with one person, we might be able to with two people combined!"

"...Can't deal..." Kuro sighed.

"Lead the way, Kuro! Let's get this done together, you and me!"

Mahiru proceeded to drag a reluctant Kuro out the classroom door and down the hall.

* * *

 

"...Here is my place..." Kuro mumbled out as he led Mahiru into his apartment.

"W-What is this?!" Mahiru exclaimed. "Dirty dishes in the sink! Old clothes and takeout boxed piled on every surface! This is not a place humans can live in!"

"...I live here..." Kuro's statement was ignores as Mahiru began to pick up various pieces of trash lying around nearby and throw them into the garbage can.

"Kuro! Get over here and help clean all this up!" Mahiru called out as he began to work his way through the giant garbage pile known as Kuro's living room. "And bring the vacuum cleaner!"

"An ultra-troublesome one has appeared..."

.

.

.

Four overflowing garbage bags, three loads of laundry, two hours of dusting/doing dishes/vacuuming and one long lecture about cleanliness throughout all that (courtesy of Mahiru) later, the two boys sat down tiredly at the table of the living room. Earlier drafts of the manuscript had been dug out of the pile of stuff on Kuro's desk and placed between them, along with a plate of plain cookies that Mahiru whipped up as Kuro searched.

"So what do we need to do?" Mahiru asked.

"Mmrrhhmm...mmrrrhhmn"

"Don't talk with your mouth full! Plus I couldn't understand a single word of that!"

"Haaahhhh..." Kuro sighed. "I said they need to be sketched, outlined and inked again. After that we can just put add sparkles or dark gloomy lines everywhere to be all dramatic and cover up any issues or even the entire background."

"That sounds pretty simple! Unethical, but simple." Mahiru answered with a hint of disapproval.

"All pros do this..." Kuro muttered. "Plus this girl is just overthinking things for 20 pages...just lines are good enough."

"Right...So what should I do now?"

".....Here, you can—"

* * *

 

It was pitch black outside by the time the pair finished fixing the pages. Now, they rested their exhausted limbs on the table while munching on more snacks that Mahiru made sometime in between.

"See, Kuro! I told you we could do it!"

A groan was heard from the blue hooded lump at the far end of the table. Specifically a lump that reached out to grab a handful of snacks every few minutes.

Suddenly, a phone rang and broke the peaceful atmosphere. Mahiru looked at the Kuro-lump, which only retreated under the table further.

"...Pretend we're not here...don't answer..."

"Like I can do that! It's really rude!" With that said, Mahiru reached over and picked up the call. Immediately, he began to regret it as a loud, deep yell blasted out of the speaker.

"WHERE'S THAT MANUSCRIPT, HUH?!"

"Eh?"

"YOU SAID YOU WOULD HAVE IT IN BY 10 TONIGHT! IT'S 10:05 AND I DON'T SEE IT! DON'T MAKE ME GO OVER THERE AND FIND YOU!!"

".....Can't deal with this guy..." Kuro mumbled, quiet enough so that the person on the other end of the phone couldn't hear. Mahiru gently placed the phone on the table and snuck over to Kuro's end. The phone continued to spout angry lines and threats to Kuro loudly.

"Who is that person? They seem to hold a grudge against you..." Mahiru whispered.

"......My editor..."

"...Your editor."

"...Yeah."

"ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!!" The yell startled both teens so much that they both jumped up from their spots.

"Y-Yes!" Mahiru answered by reflex. He proceeded to utterly regret his innate politeness when the person on the line halted and began to speak to him directly in a menacing tone.

"You aren't that lazy-ass author..." The voice sounded low and threatening, like an ultra-competent butler ready to fill you up with cutlery. "Who are you and why do you have his phone?"

"U-uh... my name is Shirota Mahiru!" He answered. "About the manuscript, there was a bit of an accident before but we managed to finish it!"

"Hn...So you managed to get him to finish it?" The voice asked. "... And here I thought for sure I had to threaten him for another week first..."

"Yes!" _I don't think we were supposed to hear the last part..._ Mahiru thought.

"Shirota Mahiru...you must be a new assistant then. Good work." The editor sounded more than a little surprised, in a good way.

"Thanks...?"

"I'm Tsukimitsu Yumikage, that guy's editor. From now on I'll be trusting you to keep that lazy author in line from now on." With that, the line went flat.

"...What?" Mahiru looked down at the phone in shock. This was not at all what he was expecting. He looked towards Kuro for some form of support, but all he got was a shrug and a quiet "can't deal..." before the blue hair disappeared under the table once again.

"Don't hide!" Mahiru shouted. "Explain what this assistant thing is about now! In the simplest way!"

A red eye peeked out from underneath the table.

"...Looks like you're going to help me with my manga from now on...welcome."

"M-manga?! You mean you are a professional mangaka?!!"

"Yup."

"But you look like a NEET!!!" Mahiru was currently facing the largest shock of high school career. Unable to form coherent words, he continued to stutter while Kuro stayed perfectly listless.

"No need to freak out..." Kuro said in a lazy way. "Just look at me and my adorable hood...and be comforted by the soothing powers..."

"Like hell I would!!"

* * *

 

_Shirota Mahiru. 15 years old. I like simple things. I dislike troublesome things. And somehow I just became the assistant to the most troublesome author in existence. This is a beginning of the end for my quiet and simple life._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! You arrived at the end of chappie 1~! Hope you liked that crazy first installment! I love both GSNK and Servamp a lot, so this spawned from the insanity that is my imagination XD~!
> 
> I myself am always losing in the war against deadlines, so the updates will be all over the place (and late more often than not...lol my other fics are totally guilty of that - so SORRY IN ADVANCE!). Characters will slowly be introduced in the next few chapters, so that's something to look forward to~!
> 
> Lol author notes too long...I suffer from that a lot...
> 
> See you next time~!


	2. Homework, the trigger for new encounters?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mahiru is now a manga assistant, but there is something more dangerous he must face first....SCHOOLWORK! Luckily, with Kuro and some new potential allies(?) by his side, things might just work out (hopefully)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW...I did not expect so many people to have liked reading the first chapter XD But I'm glad you all did!!  
> Thanks so much to everyone who gave kudos and comments :D  
> I hope you all will enjoy this installation too~!
> 
> Warning...the summary makes it sound way more shounen/actiony than this chapter really is! XD

A week passed since what is now known as the ‘ _Mahiru and Manuscript Attack (or MAMA) Incident’_ , courtesy of Kuro.

On the way home that night, Mahiru decided to try to find out more about Kuro (or rather, the renowned Sleepy Ash) and his work. Thus, he called up a considerably confused Sakuya to ask where the nearest place to buy manga was. After finishing all his chores, Mahiru spent the remainder of the evening flipping through pages upon pages of girls with abnormal heart rates, air pollution via sparkles and conveniently absent parental figures.

At school, not much has changed. Walking into the classroom, Mahiru was greeted happily by Koyuki and Ryuusei who were sitting together as always. Looking towards the back of the classroom, he noticed Kuro looking tired and intent on sleeping through the entire day's lessons. Mahiru immediately began to head over to the boy in the blue hoodie. Ever since being arbitrarily 'assigned' as Kuro's assistant (and caretaker), he had been trying very hard to turn Kuro into a properly functioning member of society, albeit with mixed results.

"Kuro! Wake up!"

"......nghnn..." The only reply he received was a quiet groan and Kuro burying his face deeper into his arms, as if trying to get away from the lecture he knew was coming.

"Hey! Don't ignore me by sleeping!!"

"...Zzzz...snore...snoring...snore....Zzzz..."

"Ok, now I KNOW you're faking it!" Mahiru replied, annoyed. "Why are you still so sleepy? Your manuscript was finished a while ago."

"I had very important business to do last night...a life and death situation..."

"Life and death?!! Are you alright, Kuro?" Mahiru pulled Kuro upright by the shoulders, looking left and right for any sign of injuries.

"...'m fine..." Kuro answered lazily. "It was just a long, long journey...to obtain the legendary pillow..."

"Legendary...pillow?" Loosening his hold on the other, Mahiru stepped back and noticed something poking out of Kuro's desk. He reached over to find that it was a handheld game console of some sort. The screen was lit with many flashing colors. Underneath large bubble letters spelling out 'Trip in Dreamland', there was an image of a furry black cat holding a dazzling white pillow in one paw and a heroic-looking blade in the other. "You...you...were talking about A GAME?!! KURO!!"

 "...Can't deal.....you'll get high blood pressure someday if you keep doing this..." Kuro muttered back as he shifted. "Why not relax? ...I'll even let you pet my fuzzy hood..."

"NO WAY!!!"

Luckily for Kuro, Ryuusei and Koyuki sensed that Mahiru was about to enter 'Nagging Mode' just then and proceeded to drag the irate boy away.

 

* * *

 

The rest of the day passed quickly, like a limited time sale at the supermarket. For the remaining hour of class, the two boys sat at the back of the classroom working together on an assignment, thanks to a phenomenon known as 'randomly assigning partners'. To be more precise, Mahiru was working diligently on the task at hand while Kuro was sprawled out on the surface of the desk trying his best to avoid working. The teacher was conveniently absent yet again after crushing many students' hopes and dreams of working with their friends.

"Don't just lay there, Kuro! Come help me out with this!" Mahiru said.

"Can't deal with this...Why do a job that won't pay you..." Kuro answered in possibly the most unmotivated voice known to man. "...Plus, I am a firm believer of leaving this sort of thing to people who are actually good at it."

"You won't know that unless you try, right Kuro?" Mahiru, on the other hand, wore an expression of incredible optimism and determination. "We can definitely finish this together, just like how we finished that manuscript!!"

"...My muscles are too sore...I can't lift up this pencil...Go on without me..."

Despite Mahiru's valiant efforts, the period ended with an unfinished assignment and Kuro having successfully avoided all forms of work. This minor setback, however, was far from enough to discourage Mahiru. He would make sure Kuro fulfills his duty as a good student if it is the last thing he does today. As he packed away his belongings, he kept a watchful eye on the lazy boy to make sure the other wouldn't escape. Being as focused as he was, Mahiru failed to notice his friends approaching until a hand landed on his shoulder. He flinched and turned quickly, but it was only a worried-looking Koyuki.

"Sorry, Mahiru...I didn't mean to scare you." Koyuki apologized. "Are you feeling alright though?"

"Of course! Why would you think that?"

"Well..." Koyuki looked like he was struggling to find the right words. "You seem...more stressed than usual, so I was concerned...Did you get rejec—"

"What he really means is that you've been glaring daggers at that poor boy over there for a while." Ryuusei cut in, as he walked up beside his brown-haired friend. "You didn't even notice us calling out to you just now."

"Sorry Ryuusei, Koyuki. I was just a bit distracted."

"It's fine." Koyuki smiled. "Do you want to come watch Ryuu-chan's practice today? We can meet up with Sakuya after and go--"

"Sorry guys! Maybe next time!!" Right when Koyuki was talking, Mahiru caught Kuro walking out the back door of the classroom with his bag in hand. Not wanting to let him get away, Mahiru quickly excused himself from his friends and dashed off.

"Good luck!" Koyuki called out to the empty space where Mahiru stood only moments ago. "I hope he succeeds this time..."

"He's persistent, that's for sure." Ryuusei replied as he began to walk in the other direction. "C'mon. We should get going to the gym now if you wanna get a front row seat."

 

* * *

 

"Kuro! Wait up!" His answer from the figure in the blue hoodie was a long, tired sigh. Still, Kuro slowed down and glanced over his shoulder at Mahiru who ran over to catch up with him. "Where do you think you're going, Kuro? We need to figure out how to finish that assignment!"

Mahiru was a young man of many talents, and made up for what he lacked with hard work. Unfortunately for him, English was not something that he could grasp through perseverance alone. Unlike other subjects, all the grammar rules and small nuances of a foreign language were not simple at all. As a result, Mahiru was determined to try twice as hard to convince Kuro to help him out with this assignment. After all, there was a chance that with both their abilities combined, they could accomplish things that neither could alone!

Mahiru had continued to follow Kuro down the halls for quite some time when he finally spoke up.

"Kuro...where are we heading anyway?"

"...Get help..."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

Kuro glanced towards the right and shoved his hands into his pockets awkwardly. His reflection on the window showed an expression just how tiresome he thought explaining everything would be.

"...An assistant of mine usually stays in a room up ahead...he can do the work..."

"For your manga?" Mahiru asked. He didn't know that Kuro had others helping him out, especially those who attended the same school as them. "...Wait...Don't make your assistants do your homework for you!!"

"He's smart, so it's ok..."

"That's not an excuse!"

Their back and forth continued. Even so, Mahiru could not deny that he was very curious about who the mysterious other assistant was. Instead of wondering about it any longer, he decided to use the simplest method and just ask Kuro.

"...Him?" Kuro pondered a bit before continuing. "...Well he's smart, for sure...plus he's good at art and pretty rich..."

"Huh..." Mahiru was surprised. This person sounded very outstanding. Why would he work as Kuro's assistant of all things?

"...He's also a shy and delicate kind of guy...there are a lot of people who want to protect him..."

A vivid image flashed through Mahiru's mind. A frail, sickly young master sitting in an excessively fancy room with gentle smile and innocent eyes. He would reach out his hand and colorful butterflies would land softly on his long, thin fingers. Beside his delicate frame, a kind servant and numerous stern people in crisp, black suits kept watch over him. Despite being surrounded by people, there was still a spark of loneliness in his gaze. When the door of the room creaked open slowly, the young master's eyes lit up upon spotting a figure sporting confident smile and flash of blond—

Mahiru stopped himself from continuing that random train of thought. He must have read too much manga last night, thus explaining that strange dream sequence just now. Thinking carefully about Kuro's words, he concluded that this assistant was definitely not someone he had encountered before.

"I'm surprised you don't know him......He's pretty famous for being the fragile genius of 1-A."

 _Class 1-A?! I didn't know Kuro knew someone from the advanced class!_ It occurred to Mahiru that there was still much to learn about the lazy mangaka beside him. Not only was he apparently friends with someone good enough at studying to be in the accelerated curriculum, but they were close enough that this mystery person actually helps Kuro with his manga and possibly homework too.

"There are rumors everywhere about him..." Kuro stated. Seeing Mahiru's confused and somewhat bewildered expression, he figured that the brown-haired boy had no idea who he was talking about. "...Alicein Misono, ever heard that name before?"

Unsurprisingly, Mahiru shook his head in response. He was always too busy with helping out others in class or at home to keep up with the student body and their gossiping about famous or popular individuals. Rumors were more of Sakuya's thing anyway. Mahiru preferred to take the simplest route and just get to know people directly.

"You seem to be pretty good friends with him, Kuro." After observing Kuro's behavior in class, Mahiru always wondered whether or not he had many friends outside. It was relieving to know that he did not spend all his time alone with only his manga and games to keep him company.

"...Don't know about that..." Kuro muttered. "But I did make up a nickname for him..."

"A nickname?"

 _What name would Kuro give a delicate and shy person like that?_ Mahiru wondered inwardly. _Since he writes shoujo manga...maybe it's something cute like......Mikkun?_

"...No...It's not that..."

"What is it then?

"Bastard-chan."

"W-WHA?!! T-That's not cute at all!!!" Mahiru gaped. "In fact, that is extremely rude!!"

Kuro shrugged and stopped walking without any warning. Mahiru, who was focusing more on his companion's lack of manners than where he was going, promptly collided with the blue hoodie in front of him. Kuro glanced down at the fallen boy quickly before turning his attention back to the room in front of him.

"...We're here."

Mahiru looked curiously at the room in front of him, after first being pulled up from the ground by a sighing Kuro. It looked to be a typical classroom, if the outer walls were not plastered with numerous pictures that seemed to be drawn by 6-year-olds. Above the door, a rainbow-colored sign saying 'Art Club' was displayed in the hallway.

_We're still in the high school building...right? Why does it look more like a daycare then??_

The door slid open abruptly, as if sensing Mahiru's thoughts. Inside, the room could only be described as the aftermath of a hurricane plowing through the small space carrying a boatload of art supplies and canvases. The victims or rather the _perpetrators_ of the phenomenon were a rowdy bunch of young students scattered around the room. Most of them seemed very young and small, looking more like a crowd of elementary or middle school students than high schoolers.

 _Actually...there are a few elementary schoolers here!_ Mahiru noted as he looked at a group of young girls who could not be older than seven wearing elementary uniforms drawing with crayons in the corner. _What is going on here?!_

"Welcome to the art club." A voice called out from somewhere right in front of Mahiru. "Sorry about the mess."

The one who opened the door and was now smiling kindly before them was a tall blond student with two tufts of hair sticking out of the top of his head like a fountain. He appeared to be a very gentle person, draped in elegant shades of black, white and pink. The most eye-catching part of his ensemble, however, was an accessory shaped like a pocket watch with a detailed image of a purple butterfly on its face.

"It's fine." Mahiru answered politely. Taking note of this person's soft features and obviously expensive designer clothes, he wondered if this young man was Kuro's genius assistant. But before that, there was something else that he needed to know about this blond. "If you don't mind me asking...How come you aren't wearing a school uniform?"

"Eh? Sorry, does this outfit not suit your preferences?" The blond looked a bit surprised. "If that's the case, allow me to str—"

"LILY, DON'T STRIP!!" A loud yell traveled across the room just moments before a sketchpad flew straight for the blond’s head. Based on the fact that the recipient of the projectile continued to smile like nothing happened, a speechless Mahiru guessed that it was a normal occurrence here.

The attacker was a short boy with purple hair and similarly purple outfit. Like the person named Lily, he also had a tuft of hair that refused to bow down to the laws of gravity. From the pencil case in his hands to the displeased frown on his face, this boy seemed ready to send another weapon flying very soon.

"Wait a moment!" Mahiru called out as he stepped quickly towards the purple boy, arms outreached. "Don't attack him!"

"Who do you think you are, intruding in our territory!" The small student glared, directing his anger at Mahiru. The pencil case waved ominously in the air. "Identify yourself, you bastard!"

Mahiru remained frozen between the two art club members, trying to comprehend what just happened. To his surprise, Kuro was the one to step forward. With all eyes on him, he stood in the center of the room and slowly raised his hands beside his hood-covered head. Curling his fingers in, Kuro tilted his head and let out a monotonous cry.

"....Nyaa~"

"..."

"..."

"...What was that?!!" Mahiru was the first one to break the awkward silence with a loud exclamation.

"Instead of fighting...let my adorable cat impersonation soothe your hearts...nyaa~"

"Like that would happen!!"

"....Cat." The purple-haired student looked as if the whole situation had given him a massive migraine.

"Bastard-chan." _Wait...THIS is the genius Misono?! What part of him is shy and delicate?!_

"If you're here, then I presume this one is the rumored new assistant." Misono took a long, critical glance at the brown-haired young man. "Seems rather average to me. A simple-minded sort of person."

To Misono's surprise, Mahiru only smiled sheepishly and lightly scratched his cheek.

"I'm Shirota Mahiru from 1-B. I like simple things. I hope we can get along as fellow assistants!"

"...Alicein Misono from 1-A. Since I have been Kuro's ...associate longer, that means I am your senpai in this regard. You may refer to me as such." Misono proudly announced. He looked really pleased with himself for a reason unknown to Mahiru.

"...Bastard-chan-senpai, we need your help with our homework..." Kuro interrupted.

"Could you please help us with the English assignment, Misono...-senpai...?" Mahiru corrected as he noticed Misono looking at him with anticipation.

"Hmph. My precious time is not meant to be wasted on trivial matters such as this." Misono sat on his chair with a condescending look. "But I guess I have no choice, being your esteemed senpai. Show me which part you are struggling with."

No further prompting was needed, as Mahiru and Kuro unpacked their materials and got to work.

 

* * *

 

Misono, despite his brusque tone and haughtiness, was actually a very good teacher.  His explanations were detailed yet directly addressed the heart of the problem. Mahiru gained a newfound respect for the purple-haired male. Looking towards the other end of the table, he sent a disapproving glance at Kuro, who was currently preoccupied with his phone.

"Kuro! Don't go on your phone now!! We have work to do!!"

"...Can't deal...I don't have the energy..." The lazy one answered. "...Maybe I'll have the energy if I get a cola...or even some juice..."

"Then go get one, you lazy author!"

"...But it's an assistant's job to help..."

"Getting drinks should be the responsibility for newbies!" Misono interjected with a smug voice.

Kuro and Misono sat there looking at Mahiru, making it very clear that neither of them would be moving anytime soon. Sighing in resignation, Mahiru got up and headed out the door with his bag in hand. Fortunately, the vending machines were not very far away, so he would not have to travel for long. Putting in a few of coins, he stared at the colorful selection of drinks in front of him.

"One cola for Kuro, orange juice for me..." Mahiru muttered to himself. "I should also get something for Misono and Lily. I wonder what they want..."

"A café au lait and a chocolate milk would be fine. I'll pay for Misono’s and my own." A mysterious voice from behind startled him. It was only Lily, who stepped forward with a handful of spare change to make his choice.

"So what do you think of our Misono?" Lily asked in a casual tone.

"Eh? Well he is a really great teacher, and very nice for helping us out with that assignment."

"I'm glad." Lily smiled at Mahiru, looking every bit like a proud parent. "Ever since he was little, it's been hard for him to make friends because of his frail body and shyness."

 _Are we talking about the same Misono?_ Mahiru wondered briefly. _That's a huge change for sure..._

"Would you like to see some photos?" Without waiting for Mahiru to answer, Lily continued to speak. He pulled out his phone and passed it to Mahiru. Inside, there was a massive collection of pictures categorized neatly by years, all starring one short, purple-haired boy.

"That's...a lot of photos..." Mahiru was unsure whether to be amazed or slightly disturbed.

"I wish to document every important step of Misono's growth, so we can look back and fondly reminisce in the future." Lily said as he gazed out the window with a soft expression. "The photos are also very popular. I have two exceptionally generous clients who pay handsomely for them."

"Lily...you _sell_ the photos? Isn't that illegal?" Mahiru and Lily gathered the various beverages before slowly heading back to the clubroom.

"Where do you think our club funding comes from?" Lily answered with a smile that looked increasingly suspicious. Mahiru felt a slight chill run down his back as he listened. "We also take every measure to protect Misono and the photos. There are extensive background checks and if there is ever any trouble, we have a team of trained professionals to...handle it."

"Um..." Mahiru desperately searched for something to change the subject. "L-lily! What type of art do you and Misono specialize in? I mean you two are in the art club and work with Kuro and all!"

"Oh no, I'm not very good at art even if I am the club president. Misono is the one with all the talent. He is amazing at drawing detailed pictures." Lily's expression and voice returned to his usual happy self, much to Mahiru's relief. "I am the art club's model actually, specializing in posing for nud—"

A relatively thick book was sent flying across the room and into Lily's face. After the loud smacking noise, a heavy silence as well as a strong sense of déjà vu filled the room. Mahiru glanced awkwardly from the annoyed Misono standing at the table and Kuro with his face planted on the desk, to Lily who was rubbing his head gently but otherwise did nothing else.

"...Are you ok, Lily?" Mahiru asked in concern.

"Just fine, why?"

"...Nothing." Mahiru turned to look at the pair now sitting down at the table once again. "Kuro, Misono, we brought the drinks!"

Mahiru placed the can of cola in front of the hooded figure, who finally looked up and moved to grab the unhealthy drink. He watched as Lily approached Misono with the two beverages, who snatched the dark can of coffee after a brief glance his way. Lily only smiled lightly as he sat down beside Misono, drink still untouched.

 _What adult-like tastes._ Mahiru noted mentally. Out loud, he decided to ask Misono about his art. The boy in question appeared to puff up proudly at that as he pulled out a sketchbook from seemingly nowhere. Mahiru grabbed it and began to carefully flip through pages of elaborate flowers and clothing designs.

"Fufufu!" Misono chuckled. "Gaze upon my wonderful masterpieces in awe!"

"You're right! These **are** amazing!!" Mahiru exclaimed, eyes sparkling with amazement as he looked back up at Misono.

"O-Of c-course they are!! I am an Alicein after all!" Misono's voice still had a haughty edge, but his reddened face gave away how flustered he was at Mahiru's directness. "...Lily, Kuro! What are you two smirking at!!"

"Nothing, Misono~"

"Nothing..."

"Well stop that immediately!!" With an angry huff, Misono grabbed the can with a happy cow logo and took a long swig. Feeling bad for Misono, Mahiru tried to change the subject by reminding everyone about the still unfinished work on the table.

 

* * *

 

"We're finished!!" Mahiru cried out happily. After a long battle with the monster in the form of a massive essay, the small group could finally relax. "Thank you so much for your help today, you guys!"

"...I worked really hard today...I should get a reward...like ice cream..."

"Kuro! You did the LEAST out of everyone here!!" Mahiru chided. "You don't deserve ice cream!"

"You meanie! How could you be so cruel to your wonderful author!" Kuro complained in a voice that was somehow both bored and upset at the same time.

"Silence, you stupid cat! Or else—" Before he could finish, Misono stumbled and fell forward. Mahiru gasped, worried. Lily reached forward to grab the boy before he hit the table, much to everyone's relief.

"Don't worry, he's just asleep." Lily reassured as he picked up Misono and his empty coffee can. "Misono was probably tired out from meeting a new friend and playing together so much today that he turned in a little early."

Mahiru looked down Kuro's phone. "...It's eight thirty..."

"Yes, he usually goes to bed at nine."

"Right...WAIT A MINUTE!! IT'S EIGHT THIRTY?!!" Mahiru jumped up in a panic and began to gather his things hurriedly. "I MISSED THE SALE ON EGGS TODAY!! What would I do for dinner?!!"

"Mahiru."

"What is it, Kuro?! I need to go right away!! I hope there are still enough ingredients at the market for a simple meal!"

"Come to my place. I have food." Kuro stated, looking far off to the side.

"What?"

"...The old lady living by the elevator brought groceries over yesterday. And I can't eat them all..."

"Kuro..." Mahiru felt touched that someone as lazy and unmotivated as Kuro would go out of his way to help him like this. "Thank you, Kuro!"

"....mission to get a free meal...success..." Kuro mumbled quietly. Unfortunately for him, Mahiru heard every word.

"You...you just wanted someone to cook for you?! KURO!!" Mahiru sighed, knowing that he should have expected as much. "Well, it's fine. I can cook for the two of us and make sure that you eat a simple, healthy meal for once! Come on Kuro!"

The two pairs went their separate ways after that (all the other kids were all picked up safety by their guardians). Walking back to Kuro's apartment through the darkened streets, Mahiru decided to ask a question which had been on his mind for quite some time.

"Kuro...how did you and Misono become friends anyway? I mean you two don't look like you have much in common..."

"...we do have some things in common..." Kuro answered after a long pause. "But it started out as a character study."

"What do you mean?"

"I was observing him to use as a base for one of my characters."

"Really?" Mahiru asked, his curiosity almost palpable. "Which one?"

Kuro did not reply to him this time, but instead pulled out a volume of his manga and pointed to a character.

"Kuro..." Mahiru deadpanned. "That's the heroine."

"Yeah..."

"Misono is a guy! Plus, they're nothing alike!!"

"Mahiru...look carefully."

Mahiru snatched the book and began to stare intensely at the inked pages.

 _'Don't misunderstand! I'm not doing this for you, you got that?!' The heroine turned away quickly with her arms crossed.  
_ "I guess I have no choice but to help you, since I am your senpai."

 _'Y-you i-idiot!!! Why can't you tell what I'm thinking?!!' The girl yelled, her face burning.  
_ "Are you blind, you bastard?!"

 _'Kyaa~ Don't look you perv!!' A flurry of bathroom items were sent flying out the door at the poor male.  
_ "Lily! DON'T STRIP!!" And books went flying.

"...See what I mean?" Kuro commented in his usual monotone.

"How does that...become...THAT?!!"

"A lot of shoujo filters and imagination."

"......."

 

* * *

 

_Shirota Mahiru. 15 years old. Today I met Kuro's other assistant and learned about the shocking powers of shoujo filters. It seems like I still have a long way to go as a manga assistant..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this 2nd installment of this fic~! And now 2 pairs have debuted :0 who next~? :P
> 
> Incidentally, this was WAYYY longer than I thought it would be (4000+ words OMG) but it was fun to write :D
> 
> Mahiru is experiencing so many "culture shocks" right now :D I feel bad for him...almost. The world of manga/anime is a deep realm to enter XD 
> 
> Also...Arisuin/Alicein...lol still not sure which to go for... I just followed the wikia for this one :P
> 
> I am on a mission to give Ryuusei and Koyuki more screentime whenever I still can (because they are awesome but are forgotten a lot)...not sure how that's gonna turn out when more characters show up though...
> 
> If anyone was wondering (not sure...) about the classroom things, I figured it would be similar to Assassination Classroom, if anyone watched that (recommended btw). So the earlier the letter, the "smarter" the class (I use that very vaguely)...which basically means the students in it are academically stronger. So 1-A, being first is like the advanced one, while B is more average, C/D are the not as good...I doubt it'll go all the way to E-class here...
> 
> Well that's about it for today! Thanks again for everyone and their support last chapter~! I hope everyone will look forward to the next chapter too~! (lol it's gonna be crazy!!)


	3. Mission: Character Observation (pt.1) - Preparation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The band of assistants finally have their first task: go people (character) observing! Join Mahiru and friends as they hunt for more interesting personalities throughout their school. Will they succeed? Will their screentime be taken over by cameos?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait but the 3rd chapter has finally arrived~! :D Yay~!  
> Lol I was wayyyy late with this one :P Hopefully I can get back on schedule from now on....
> 
> Again, thanks sooooo much to everyone who gave kudos and comments, they are greatly appreciated <3 :) ...though I am really bad with replying quickly because 99% of the time I actually do go on ao3, I'm too lazy to sign in (and it's on mobile...so it's not as user-friendly?), sorry about that~! ^x^"
> 
> I hope you enjoy this installment of this~! (lol name too long even for me to type out XD)
> 
> Warnings: A certain character (:P) hijacking the story at some point...so the tone shift may be abrupt?.....also he is kind of not-okay for a bit D: (it will make sense later...)  
> Basically someone flips out (panic?).... D: I tried to make it mild though...

It was just a normal day. The sun shone brightly outside and students wished they were anywhere but the stuffy classroom. The teacher droned on, fully aware that everyone was listening to the seconds tick away rather than their lessons. As the final bell rang to release the teens from their daily prison, Mahiru got up from his desk with only one thought in mind.

_Where on earth is Kuro now?!!_

Just another day like any other.

Mahiru searched high and low, but he could not find the lazy cat-lover anywhere in the classroom. Thus, he decided to expand his search area and leave the room. Walking down the hallway, Mahiru searched for a glimpse of a fuzzy blue hood.

"Oh my, if it isn't Mahiru." Hearing his name, Mahiru turned around to see Lily approaching from the other end of the crowded hall. Even with waves of students bustling around in the narrow space, the tall student seemed to move almost effortlessly through them. "What brings you here to the second year hallway?"

"I'm looking for Kuro. Have you seen him?"

"I believe I saw a blue hoodie by the shoe lockers not too long ago." Lily answered. "I can guide you there if you like."

"That'd be great! Thanks Lily!"

The two set off towards the front entrance of the school while discussing their shared experiences of being a caretaker. Mahiru felt as if his bond with Lily has strengthened...

 

* * *

 

"Mahiru, over there." The aforementioned boy tried to look in the direction Lily pointed at. Unfortunately, all he could see were the heads of numerous generic students in front of him.

"Kuro!" Mahiru called out loudly.

"...What is it...?" Came the unenthusiastic response.

"What are you doing here at the shoe lockers?" Mahiru walked quickly towards the voice. "Rather, what _are_ you two doing anyway?"

Kuro and Misono quietly sat underneath the main staircase of the school. It was concealed in the shadows and challenging to spot unless someone was specifically looking for it. Each of them had a tablet in hand and was busy poking away at it.

"We're researching the patterns of human interaction in an everyday environment." The two replied in unison.

 _I've never seen Kuro work so hard before._ Mahiru thought to himself. _I'm glad that he takes his work seriously at least._

Mahiru took a step forward and peeked at Kuro's device curiously.

"Hey!! All you're doing is playing with sparkly filters on the camera!!" Mahiru called out, exasperated. "Aren't you supposed to be working?!"

"...It's called people watching...this way I can observe them through shoujo filters...

 "Why a tablet though?"

"...It's camouflage. Last time I brought a real camera, I was accused of being a pervert..."

"...I see..." Mahiru answered awkwardly.  Not wanting to face this heavy(?) topic any longer, Mahiru turned to look at Misono's instead. He could hardly imagine Misono sitting there playing with bubbly camera filters. The purple-head was not playing with filters or the camera at all.

"Misono...what are you doing there?"

"As I have stated before, I am currently studying human interactions in a school environment."

"But...that's a game, right?"

Staring at the screen, Mahiru saw images of two girls standing in front of a picture of a school hallway. From the words in the textbox, they appeared to be arguing over something related to a 'Mikkun'.

"You must always begin at the basics. Without a good foundation to start with, you can never achieve success. This rule applies even to human interactions, Shirota."

"That makes sense and all...but starting in the 2D WORLD?! Isn't that too basic?!" Mahiru yelled back. Misono just looked up at him with a disapproving gaze.

"Don't underestimate the complexity of visual novels and the skill needed to comprehend their relationships!"

"...you mean their plot holes..." Kuro muttered under his breath.

Misono looked at the boy sitting beside him. Lucky for the hooded boy, he did not appear to have heard the remark just now. "Kuro, I shall be generous and respect your input this time. Which girl should I walk home with now?"

"...can't deal..." The lazy mangaka glanced briefly at the screen. "...How about the left one...She gave us cookies yesterday..."

Mahiru finally snapped out of the shocked daze he was in as he watched Kuro and Misono's interactions. He was simply unable to process what was going on.

"Wait a minute! ...What is with you two?!!" Mahiru asked loudly. "Also, you should not pick someone for something as shallow as free food!!"

"Can't deal..." Kuro sighed, sounding as if he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Mahiru immediately stopped and looked at him, concerned. "My editor wants a new character next chapter."

"So we are researching." Misono finished.

"...know anyone shoujo manga-like?"

Mahiru thought about his friends. As if summoned, Koyuki and Ryuusei walked past on the way to the shoe lockers without noticing Mahiru and his clearly suspicious group perched under the staircase. They were talking and laughing amongst themselves as always.

"—said our next match is against middle schoolers, can you believe that?" Ryuusei gesture wildly as he spoke. "Although I hear they brought in a secret weapon this time."

"A secret weapon? That sounds scary..." Koyuki looked very concerned.

"Not a real weapon, silly. Rumors say the guy is crazy strong. As long as he is on your team, the opponent will be destroyed no matter the sport."

"Ryuu-chan, are you sure you should be playing against someone like that?"

"Heck yeah! It just means our team'll be the best of the best if we can win!" He answered with gusto. "You're coming to watch, right?"

"Of course! I'll bring refreshments with me too!" Koyuki replied with a smile. Turning away slightly, he then muttered under his breath. "...I'll carry a first aid kit too, just in case."

Mahiru watched his two friends walk out the main entrance, somewhat concerned about what he overheard. Glancing at Kuro, he saw the hooded boy staring ahead with a tired expression.

"...no good..." Kuro mumbled.

"What?"

"...those two get along way too well...not enough teenage drama." Kuro continued. "They're side characters at best..."

"Kuro!" Mahiru scolded. "That's rude to my friends!"

"Anyone else, Shirota?" Misono cut in, abruptly halting Mahiru's scolding about politeness.

"Hmm...What about Sakuya?" He answered, deep in thought. "He's really talkative, playful and always in the middle of the school's rumor mill."

"Doesn't sound like someone I would get along with." The purple-head remarked.

"Don't say that, Misono! You're both my very good friends so I'm sure you'll get along great!" Mahiru said. "He's pretty well known in our grade as a joker, but maybe you haven't met him because you're in different classes."

"Hmph. We'll see about that." Misono turned to the side with a small huff. Meanwhile, Kuro snapped out his daydream and jotted down some notes on his tablet.

"...This guy may work...but he sounds a little shady..." Kuro commented. "In manga, you always have to beware of the nice ones who act like your friends...because later you realize they were spreading those nasty rumors....and at the end they'll say 'From the first time we met, I've always hated you'..."

"Don't judge Sakuya like that based on a shoujo manga cliché!! He's not like that!!"

"...hey.” Kuro looked towards Misono, who was enraptured by his game. "Do you know anyone good?"

"Just who do you think I am, you stupid cat." Misono replied in a haughty tone. "Why would I go out of my way to associate with the masses?"

"...so that's a no then..."

"Well if you are truly desperate for my guidance, I do have someone in mind."

Kuro, Mahiru and Lily looked at the boy, surprised.

"That person is not only famous as a genius, but he even has a fan club. It's officially registered as a legitimate school club too."

"Eh? You're friends with a celebrity?" Mahiru wondered aloud.

"...sounds like a pain..." Kuro looked down at the tablet in his hands.

"Misono, you're growing up and making more friends now!" Lily lightly dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief. "I am so happy for you!"

"Stop misunderstanding! He's just a classmate!!" A red-faced Misono barked back, hand already reaching for a nearby book. Fearing the impending attack, Mahiru stepped between the two teens.

"M-Misono, hold on! Could you bring us to meet that classmate of yours then?"

"Huh? I meant to say...who do you think I am? Of course I can!!" Misono puffed up proudly. "Unfortunately, he was given permission to leave early today so it's impossible to meet him now."

"Okay! Tomorrow it is!" Mahiru announced, smiling at Misono. "I'll make sure Kuro doesn't escape too!"

Before the other could respond, he was interrupted by a loud ringtone.

_(lula lulala yasashiku~ lula lulala—)_

"..." Kuro fished out his phone and looked at the caller display. With a long sigh, he lifted the small device to his ear. "...the person you are calling is not here...try again later...a lot later..."

"You aren't getting away that easily, you lazy mangaka." A deep voice replied. "Knowing your work ethic, you probably haven't even started on that new character yet."

 _Ah! It's Yumikage-san._ Mahiru thought.

"...So mean...just who do you think I am..."

"A no-good, lazy shut-in with _some_ artistic talent." Was the immediate answer. "Since I can't trust you to do your work, we're having a meeting. Tomorrow, right after your classes. I'll come right to your school and grab you if I have to. Be prepared."

With that, the call was cut. The four boys stood there staring at the phone, still processing the events that just occurred.

"I guess that means Kuro can't make it tomorrow." Mahiru was the one to break the heavy silence. "So it'll just be the three of us meeting Misono's classmate then."

"Actually, I have an important meeting tomorrow too. Sorry, you two."  Lily, who was quiet for the majority of the conversation, suddenly interrupted.

"Why have I not been informed about this?" Misono glanced at the tall student with suspicion. "Who are you meeting with?"

"Is Misono worried about me~?" Lily beamed. "It makes me so happy to know that~! So happy, that I feel like stri—"

"DON'T STRIP!!!!" Misono snapped back. "And who said anything about being worried?! I...I-It's just that if you are absent, who will supervise the art club children?"

"No need to worry, Yuri and Mari are old enough to watch out for all of them. They grow up so fast..."

"..."

"..."

Kuro and Misono were staring at Lily skeptically when Mahiru spoke up once again. "So it's decided then! Misono and I will get to know this person tomorrow and tell you two what we find after!"

 

* * *

 

On the following day, school passed so quickly it felt like a blur. As the teacher exited the classroom for the last time that day, a powerful horn shattered the carefree atmosphere. Through the window, a sleek, black car could be seen parked beyond the school gates. A tall, blond man stepped out and leaned against the vehicle. His arms were crossed as he glared intensely at the open gates.

 _Is he someone's guardian?_ Mahiru wondered absently. _Maybe I should go over to see if he needs some directions..._

"Kuro, could you tell Misono that I will be a bit late? I'm going to help tha--" Mahiru turned away from the window. All he saw was an empty seat at the desk where the cat-hooded boy would usually be. "Kuro? Where did you go?”

"..."

A faint groan prompted Mahiru to look down and notice a familiar blue jacket underneath the desk.

"Kuro! What are you doing down there?!"

"...a tactical retreat..." At Mahiru's confused expression, Kuro sighed and elaborated. "That's my editor."

The brown-haired boy quickly turned back to the window to get a better look at the editor. The man wore a white jacket over a dark blue shirt. His long ponytail fluttered gently in the wind. Still leaning against his car, the blond was the image of levelheadedness and reliability. If it wasn't for his slowly deepening glare, he would have surely been swarmed by female students by now.

Kuro's phone rang. Mahiru broke his gaze  at the gate to glance at Kuro hiding underneath the desk, looking at his phone as if it had betrayed him somehow.

"Kuro, you shouldn't keep Yumikage-san waiting."

"...Don't wanna...he looks mad..."

"Whose fault is _that_?!"

"..."

"...If you work hard at the meeting, I'll bring you...uhh...ice cream!!"

".........Cookies&Cream...?"

"Sure! But make sure to work hard and don't cause any more trouble for Yumikage-san, okay?"

"......fine."

The mangaka slowly crawled out of his hiding spot beneath the desk. Mahiru smiled at Kuro and waved as he stepped towards the classroom door, receiving a small hand wave in return. He did not look away until the blue hoodie was out of sight.

"Mahiru, you are growing up to be a fine mom." Ryuusei grinned, hanging off of Mahiru's shoulder in a friendly manner.

"Wha-- Ryuusei!"

"Don't be mean, Ryuu-chan..." Koyuki spoke up, after standing quietly at the side the entire time. "You should have said that he will definitely be a good wife someday~!"

"Koyuki?! Not you too..." Mahiru groaned. He waved to his two chuckling friends as he left the classroom. He surely wasn't leaving to avoid more mom jokes or anything, but rather he felt that it would be impolite to keep Misono waiting. Taking a moment to look around the busy hallway, Mahiru began his journey towards the 1-A classroom.

 

* * *

 

It was amazing, jarring almost, to see the difference in the atmosphere after turning the corner to the 'more elite' part of the school. Mahiru's classroom was located one of the most important hallways in the school, due to the sole reason that it was the closest route to the school cafeteria. As such, it would always be filled to the brim with energetic students and gossiping voices whenever classes were not in session. On the other hand, this corridor was much quieter. There weren't many students loitering around in these halls, since you could only reach the library and disciplinary office beyond here. People either stayed in the classrooms to organize their notes or left for the busier hallways to mingle.

It was in these very halls, that a loud voice abruptly shattered the hushed atmosphere and Mahiru's search for a certain purple-haired genius.

"MA~HI~RUUU~!!!" The boy in question flinched in surprise, turning left and right for the source of the yell. At the same time, he could feel the weighted stares from everyone nearby burning into the back of his head.

_This voice..._

A familiar figure popped out from a door to the left and dashed towards Mahiru.

"MAHIRU~ Fancy seeing you here~!"

"Sakuya!!"

The green-haired boy looped his arm around Mahiru's shoulder, laughing loud enough to earn glares from students studying inside nearby classrooms. Brushing off the hostile stares easily, he greeted his best friend energetically.

"It must have been fate that brought us together!!" Sakuya motioned in an overdramatic fashion with a wide grin. "Did you get sent to the disciplinary office too?"

"It's nice to see you too! How have you been?" Mahiru answered with a smile. "Sorry for not walking home with you latel-- ...Wait. What did you do THIS TIME, Sakuya?!!"

"So mean Mahiru~ Do you think that badly of me?" Sakuya put on an exaggerated hurt expression and turned away slowly with his face in his hands.

"S-Sakuya! I didn't mean to accuse you!!" Mahiru flailed around, trying to find a way to reassure his friend. "I-It's just that you like pranking so much and.......I'm sorry, Sakuya!!"

"...Just because I like joking around...It's not like I did anything" The green-haired boy remained standing with his back turned, shoulders shaking slightly. All of a sudden, he spun around on his heel to face Mahiru again. "Now...just how much of that was a lie~?"

"I'm really sor-- So you DID do something?!!"

"I didn't really do anything...I just happened to leave my whoopee cushion on the student council prez's chair~!" Sakuya answered while cackling, unable to hold in his laughter any longer.

"Sakuya!! I was really worried you know!!" Mahiru scolded, exasperated with his best friend's antics. "You should cut back a bit on your pranks before you get into serious trouble one day..."

Pulling Mahiru into a one-armed hug, Sakuya interrupted the rest of his long lecture with a grin. "Aww~ Mahiru, were you _that_ worried about little ol' me~? I'm touched~!"

"S-Sakuya!! Listen to me...!"

"I'm fine. I'm fine. The disciplinary teacher is really nice, you know. As long as you bring him food then you can get away with almost anything~!"

"That's...really unethical..." Mahiru commented. The two boys began to walk down the hallway side by side.

"So...what brings you here to the snobby side of school, Mahiru?"

"I'm meeting up with a friend here...He should be here any moment..."

Sakuya's grin dropped, leaving an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. He slowed to a stop, causing the brown-haired student to turn around with a confused look. "Mahiru...are you seeing that guy again? I hear that you are almost always with him these days..."

Grabbing Mahiru firmly by the shoulders and looking him in the eye, he continued. "Mahiru...are you...hiding something from me?"

"Haha...What are you talking about, Sakuya? I'm not hiding anything!!" Mahiru laughed feebly

 _Even if I said that I became a mangaka's assistant, he probably won't believe me._ Mahiru commented internally. _Knowing Sakuya, he'd make fun of me about it for a whole week!!_

"...You're not being forced into something illegal, are you?" Sakuya pressed further. Watching Mahiru deny it vigorously, Sakuya gave him one more skeptical look and dropped the subject. "So...where is this friend of yours? You sure you aren't being stood up by that creep?"

"Who are you referring to as a 'creep', you bastard?!"

Mahiru and Sakuya turned to see an irate boy with purple hair standing behind them.

"Misono!"

"Misono? You mean Alicein Misono?" Sakuya repeated, surprised. This was not who he expected at all. "Mahiru, when did you become friends with the famous pint-sized genius from 1-A?"

"P-Pint-sized?!" Misono shot the green-haired joker with a glare so fierce; a lesser man would have been reduced to a trembling like a leaf. "How dare you speak to me in that way!! Just who do you think you are?!!"

"Sakuya Watanuki from 1-C." The green-haired student announced. "Comedian extraordinaire and Mahiru's best friend!"

"...best friend, you say?" Misono narrowed his eyes. "Since when have you been hanging around Shirota? How were you acquainted?"

"What is this, an interrogation? You sound awfully similar to a jealous wife, Ahoge." Sakuya laughed. "Still, I've known Mahiru for way longer than you, that's for sure."

"WHAT WAS THAT?!!" The young genius bristled, his gravity-defying tuft of hair rising in annoyance.

"Hold on, both of you!" Mahiru stepped in between the two, trying to calm down the angry Misono. "I've known Sakuya since middle school. He likes to joke around, but he doesn't mean anything bad by it."

"Hmph." Misono made a point to look only at Mahiru as he spoke. "Regardless, we have important plans today, Shirota. We should get going."

That caught Sakuya's attention. "Plans? Mahiru, what is going on between you two?"

Before Mahiru could answer, Misono cut in. "We are in a close partnership born out of mutual interest and objectives."

 _...That was way too vague!_ Mahiru cried out internally.

"Mahiru..." The aforementioned boy turned to look at his green-haired friend. "Are you...cheating on me?"

"W-what?! NO!! ...wait...Stop joking around, Sakuya!!" Mahiru blurted out, red-faced. Sakuya merely laughed while holding onto his stomach. "...Still, it's true that we have to go now. I'll see you later Sakuya!"

"Wait a--" Mahiru and Misono walked and disappeared around the corner before Sakuya could finish.

 

* * *

 

 _Mahiru is definitely hiding something from me. What are they up to that is so important he had to ditch me for it?!_ Sakuya thought as he continued down the bright hallway. _...Does he not trust me anymore? Why would he ever need to lie to me?_

As he walked, he tried to figure out why his ever-optimistic and straightforward best friend would be keeping secrets from him. Since the very first day they met, Mahiru had never once given Sakuya a reason to doubt him.

Sakuya chuckled lightly as he recalled Mahiru's rampage when he once caught him and Ryuusei pouring a bottle of vinegar into the baking soda when the teacher's back was turned. The brunet grabbed both boys by the shirt collar as they tried to escape during the subsequent mess and dragged them both in front of the class to admit their wrongdoings and apologize. His lecture about honesty, good kitchen behaviour and respect for ingredients lasted so long the teacher felt bad for the two troublemakers and wanted to let them off. In the end, Mahiru ordered them both to clean up the entire mess, but stayed back to help them rather than go home.

 _Those were good times...but now Mahiru is acting totally different._ Sakuya thought to himself. _Were the memories a lie? ...Or does just he not want to deal with me anymore? Was everything a façade he wore until today?!_

Sakuya stopped abruptly, staring off into the distance. Inside his mind, countless thoughts whirled around wildly like a hurricane.

_No...Mahiru would never do that...he's not that type of person...not like m--..._

_Or is he? Could he be trusted? Can I? Did he find out about that?!!...Which is it?! How much?! WHICH ONE IS THE _ **LIE** _?!_

The image of a sky blue hoodie and a lethargic expression came to mind.

_Ever since Mahiru started hanging out with that guy, he became more distant._

_He must be the reason! He must be the one trying to corrupt Mahiru!!_ Sakuya came to a shocking realization. _I need to snap Mahiru out of it and save him quickly!! ....but how?!_

"Hey! you alright there man?" A sudden voice broke Sakuya out of his raving thoughts. "You don't look so good..."

A young man stood in front of Sakuya, concerned. His face looked vaguely familiar to the green-haired boy but no name came to mind. _A classmate of mine?_

Snapping out of his daze, Sakuya put on a cheery grin. "Yeah, I'm fine! No problem!"

The other did not look convinced. "You sure...?"

"Darn....you caught me..." Sakuya sighed dramatically. "Actually...I just got dumped. Told me I wasn't cool enough..."

"That's rough..." Came the response. "If you need some advice, I might know just the thing...you've heard of 'Camellia', right?"

"......Of course~! The famous columnist in the school paper that can help with all sorts of problems!!"

"Maybe she can help? My friend listened to her advice and managed to score a date!"

"Really~ Maybe I should try it then~" Sakuya hummed.

"Good luck, man!"

Once the young man was out of sight, Sakuya let his grin drop as he continued to walk. He took out his phone and after recalling the advice of the random person from before, he decided to type out a message to 'Camellia' on the school newspaper's blog before returning to his brooding. Rather, he was planning to do so until a hand appeared in his peripheral. The mysterious hand latched onto his shoulder and pulled him into the nearby classroom so quickly, Sakuya had no time to react. Out in the hallway, a single green phone lay on the floor, ignored by everyone passing by.

 

* * *

 

The room was dark. The lights were off and the closed curtains gave the room an eerie atmosphere.

Sakuya struggled in the stranger's hold. He could feel that the one restraining him from behind was someone taller and sturdier.

 _Tch. So annoying._ Sakuya reached inside his jacket. _Can't I brood in peace?_

Pulling out a pocket knife, Sakuya readied himself to strike when he heard a voice from somewhere to his right.

"Ahahaha~ How scary, right Beru?" Wild cackling followed from the other side of the room.

"..." Sakuya groaned internally. "...Tsubaki-san...I'm not in the mood for games right now..."

"Nonsense! It's always time for games!" Tsubaki answered in a cheerful tone. The figure behind Sakuya finally released him and stepped back. In the darkness, Sakuya could barely make out a head of platinum blond hair. "And it's a very special occasion today too, right?"

"You said it Tsubakyun!!"

The lights turned on to reveal a few figures perched stylishly across the row of desks, as if they were posing for a photo shoot. For some strange reason, the four were wearing bizarre outfits.

"...What are you all doing?" Sakuya dared to ask. He could feel a headache coming, though for a completely different reason than before. "And why are you all dressed like _that_? It's way past Halloween."

"Tsubakyun wanted to have a costume party today!! So enjoy it **or die**!!" A bespectacled young man with a long, pink ponytail laughed as he swung his legs wildly. He wore a white and pink suit with a top hat.

"...you trying to be a host?" Sakuya deadpanned.

"How rude!! I'm obviously a KILLER MAGICIAN! AHAHA~!"

"It is our utmost honor to comply with the young master's wishes. Although I do not understand why he insisted on inviting someone gloomy such as you." The speaker was the platinum blond. He wore a white suit and a dark eyepatch. In his hands were a long white towel and various kitchen utensils. "In case you were wondering, I am a killer butler."

"I wasn't." Turning to the only female in the room, Sakuya spoke. "...you're actually playing along as well?"

The girl nodded slightly and looked to the side. Her outfit included a short, button-up white dress and a crimson flower ornament in her hair.

"What are you supposed to be?"

"......a killer nurse." She answered. "......so embarrassing..."

 _What kind of weird theme is this?_ Sakuya thought with a blank expression. _They're just randomly putting the word 'killer' at the front to make it spookier._

"My turn~!" Tsubaki waved his hand in the air impatiently. "Guess what I am~"

The young man in question was dressed in a flashy black yukata with red patterns at the edges and matching sunglasses. He draped a white and crimson cloth over his robes. He looked impatiently at the green-haired boy as he waved his arms and legs around.

"Come on! Guess~!!"

"...since everyone else is a killer or something..." Sakuya sighed, but responded nonetheless. "You must be..."

"Yes~?"

"...the victim."

"..."

"..."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, YOU LITTLE--" The pink-haired magician snarled, rising from his seat abruptly. Before he could cause any bodily harm, he halted at the sound of crazed laughing coming from the man in the kimono.

"AHAHA! HAAHHAHAAHAHAHAAHAAHAHAHHAA! AHAHAAHAHA-- ...not interesting at all."

"..." Sakuya lightly massaged his temples to fight the oncoming headache.

"Aww~ Don't feel sad..." Tsubaki got up from his throne of desks and walked closer. "I prepared something for you to!! So you won't feel left out~!"

"No...you didn't have to, Tsubaki-san..." Sakuya slowly backed away from the approaching dark-haired young man. The other only grinned, pulling something out from behind.

"Tada! To match everyone else, I brought the perfect costume! You can be the damsel in distress!!" The raven announced, sounding very pleased with himself. "Shamrock, Berukia~ Help me out, will you?"

Tsubaki held up a black and white long sleeved outfit with a frilly skirt, complete with decorative ribbons. With the terrifying articles of clothing in hand, he pounced at his prey. Unfortunately for Sakuya, the butler and magician surrounded him in an instant, blocking all of his escape routes.

"Wait...hold on...TSUBAKI-SA--"

 

* * *

 

It was late. The sun was beginning to set on this very fine day. Students participating in club activities were wrapping up for the day. Weary from a long day of school and extracurricular, they were looking forward to a peaceful walk home, followed by a well-deserved rest. For one brown-haired boy, however, his work was only beginning, as he stopped by the nearest convenience store to get the promised ice cream before walking to his next destination. But that is a story for another time.

For now, everyone halted in their steps as the peacefulness of the school was utterly shattered by a loud yell. If someone had looked into the hallway, they would have been graced with the bizarre sight of a magician, a nurse, a butler and a man in a kimono running wildly after a maid.

And such was the origin of one of seven great mysteries of this academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah....hope you still enjoyed this chapter :P Again, sorry for the lateness... D: Life was not being nice (read: me procrastinating and ending up with a huge pile of work right before the deadline T.T)
> 
> When I first started typing up this chapter...this totally was not how it was planned to go :P LOL leave it to the melancholies to hijack the story for themselves as a debut~(incidentally I didn't plan for them to appear so soon either LOLOLOL even though I really like them a lot :P) Rather the melan part was more of a Halloween extra I was considering...but obviously I didn't make it for Halloween (so belated Halloween 1/2 chappie? :P)
> 
> Don't worry, Mahiru will be back as protag next chapter :) And we'll get back to the main story(?) XD  
> ...also his social links are ranking up :P (lol if anyone caught that tiny reference attempt up there...props to you if you did...cuz that was totally obscure)  
> Yeah I found my copy of P3 again from the bottom of my closet :P so yeah....LOL
> 
> Whelp.. Thanks everyone for all the support and I'll see you all next time~! :D


	4. Mission: Character Observation (pt.1) - Execution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Mahiru and MIsono start their operation to observe (stalk) the new character! Unfortunately, everyone seems intent on making it hard for the two assistants. Will they manage to finish their task? Or will they crash and burn?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First if all...sorry for the lateness! LIfe just decided to swamp me with work all of a sudden T.T
> 
> Still, a big thanks to everyone who stuck around, and those who left kudos and comments :D It's really appreciated~! There's a big(?) notice somewhere in the end notes this chapter, for those who actually read those. XD
> 
> For this chapter...it's late...but long...like way longer than the previous ones at least~?   
> On the not so bright side...I've been told by a friend that it's like 70% filler(?) and randomness in here :P 
> 
> Well, without further ado, ENJOY~!

Misono and Mahiru travelled quickly through the corridors. To be more precise, Mahiru walked while following Misono, who was pressed against the wall as he moved stealthily.

"Uhh...Misono..."

"Quiet! What is it Shirota?" Misono whispered loudly. He was still standing flat against the side of the hallway, peering across the corner.

"...What are you doing?"

The purple-haired student looked at Mahiru like he was crazy. "Is it not obvious? We are on an espionage mission, so we must move inconspicuously."

"...I don't think it's working, Misono..." Mahiru could feel the stares of people walking by. Every so often, he could hear whispers of words like 'genius', 'tiny' and 'weird' being thrown around.

Misono paused. "...you may have a point, Shirota. We are too easily recognized in this school."

"Right! So let's simply wal—"

"Fortunately, I have prepared just the thing for this sort of situation." Misono cut in.

"...Eh?"

The purple-haired boy rummaged through his schoolbag. A few minutes and a frustrated huff later, he pulled out...a paper bag.

_A paper bag...?_ Mahiru stared blankly. _...and why is there a badly drawn smiley face on it?_

Before he had a chance to comment, Misono ordered him to pick something out of the bag. Confused, Mahiru reached in and pulled out a yellow cloth.

_A bandanna? No, a scarf?_ Mahiru looked at Misono and spoke up.

"Misono...what are these for?" He gestured to the accessories in their hands. The purple-haired boy finally broke his intense glare at the brown hat he held and turned to Mahiru.

"Is it not clear?" Misono put on the cowboy hat and changes his shoes as he asked back. The hat slid down slightly and covered half of his face. "These disguises will prevent us from being recognized and allow us to blend in with the masses."

_...Will that actually work?_ Mahiru wondered with a hint of apprehension. _But more importantly, can Misono even see under that? He's gonna end up hurting himself when he walks!_

"Misono, you sh—"

"Why haven't you put on your disguise yet, Shirota? We don't have all day." Misono stated in a serious tone. Mahiru gave one more glance at the yellow cloth before wrapping it around his neck.

"...That's no good. You aren't concealing your face in the least." The purple-haired boy gave a look of disapproval, mumbling something unintelligible about looking similar to a certain nuisance.  "You should tie it on your head instead."

"Isn't this a scarf? You wear scarves on your neck, don't you?"

"It will help to conceal your face from people passing by." Misono explained.

_I really hope we can pull this off..._ Mahiru commented internally, but did as instructed. "How's this?"

"..." The small genius gave Mahiru a quick look. "It certainly gives you a more... _domestic_ aura......All we need now is an apron and flammable eyes and you can be a world famous cooking teacher."

"...A what?"

"...Never mind. We have more important things to attend to." Misono stated as he returned to sneaking through the halls. Mahiru sighed lightly but followed the smaller boy out the door nonetheless. At the entrance, he noticed something fall out of Misono's bag.

_Ah. He dropped something._ Mahiru reached down to pick it up. It appeared to be a square case of some sort. _A CD? ...For some reason I feel like this has happened before..._

The case was very colorful. The background was covered with various images of foods surrounding the one figure in the middle. A happy looking lady holding a spatula with brown hair stared back at Mahiru. She wore a yellow apron and a pink cloth on her head that was eerily familiar somehow.

_Is this one of Misono's games?_ Mahiru wondered. _...Cooking Ma—_

"—Mahiru!"

Mahiru looked up quickly, surprised. In the distance, he saw a soccer ball flying towards him at a high speed. Fortunately, he managed to avoid it at the last minute and looked up to see a familiar blond running towards him.

"You alright, Mahiru?!" Ryuusei called out while running over. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine." Mahiru gave his friend a brief glance. The other must have been in the middle of practice, if his jersey and signature headband meant anything. "Here, your ball."

"Thanks." He answered. "It's rare to see you wandering around here after class. What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for someone today with Misono."

"Your friend?" Mahiru realized then that he never had a chance to officially introduce Misono to any of his other friends yet (aside from Sakuya). Maybe he should invite them all to hang out together later.

"Yeah, he's right over ther—"

Mahiru turned, but there was no sign of the purple-haired boy. He looked left and right, Misono was nowhere to be seen. _Did he get lost already? I knew that hat was too big for him!_

"Mahiru?" Ryuusei's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "You okay?"

"Yeah...I think I lost him though..."

"I can take a short break before heading back." Ryuusei grinned. "How about I help you look for this guy? What does he look like?"

"Thanks, Ryuusei!" Mahiru smiled at his friend. "Misono...hmm…he has purple hair...isn’t very tall...and is wearing a cowboy hat."

"Got it. Let's go!" With a new mission to accomplish, Mahiru pulled off his scarf and set off with Ryuusei across the courtyard to look for the missing genius.

* * *

Mahiru and Ryuusei wandered around the school in search of Misono. They passed the sports fields and school gardens, personally tended to by their homeroom teacher, but there was no sign of the telltale purple hair.

"By the way, who were you looking for _before_ your friend disappeared?" The blond asked. "Maybe we can find them together."

"Oh right!" Mahiru thought back to the conversation at the shoe lockers yesterday. "We were looking for a famous genius from 1-A.”

"...But isn't that Alicein Misono himself?"

"No...I mean yes, he is...but not him. It's his classmate, actually."

"Anything else?"

"Uhh...He leaves school early a lot and is very popular."

"..." Ryuusei did not show any sign of recognition, but Mahiru could have sworn he heard something that sounded suspiciously similar to 'that lucky dog'.

"He also has an official fan club here."

"Sounds to me like you are looking for the drama club's princess." A third voice spoke up from behind. The two surprised boys turned to see a young girl smiling cheerfully at them. She wore a plain white shirt and a strange metal mask on her head. Her peach blond hair fluttered behind her in the breeze.

_Who is she?_ Mahiru wondered. _And why isn't she wearing the school uniform either?_

Only then did her words sink in.

"Sorry, I think you're mistaken. We're looking for a **male** student."

The girl merely giggled. "Yup, I know! He's not a real princess, of course! It's just a title given by the students."

"Sounds like an insult if you ask me..." Ryuusei muttered under his breath.

"The drama club's Cinderella, together with their very own Romeo, is the leading attraction of the drama club!!” The mysterious girl answered. “Oh, but try not to call him that to his face..."

_Oh, so it’s the Drama Club royalty_ … _still, it sounds strange to call a guy a ‘princess’._

"You'll understand if you see for yourself. You can probably find them near the forest around this time." The blonde said with a grin. "After all, it's about time for the afterschool 'Drama Club Special'! I would take you there, but I have somewhere I need to go right now."

"That's okay. Thanks so much!" Mahiru called out.

"No problem! Good luck and see you later!" With that, the girl disappeared into the building.

_Ah. I didn't get her name...and what did she mean by see you later?_ Mahiru wondered. _...Still, the drama club, huh...that should be exciting enough for a new character, right?_

"Speaking of going places, I should probably head back to practice. Will you be fine on your own?" Ryuusei asked.

"Yeah! Thanks for coming along with me, Ryuusei."

"Anytime."

Now alone, Mahiru headed towards the back of the school, hoping Misono was already there waiting with the drama club member.

* * *

"You're late, Shirota! Where did you run off to?!" A familiar voice called out curtly. Mahiru looked around quickly, trying to find the owner of that voice.

"Over here!" Mahiru spun around to see Misono sitting behind a small shrub, two leafy twigs in hand.

"Misono...what are you doing?"

"Clearly I am blending in with the surroundings! To mask our presence is the basics of spying!" The genius replied haughtily. "So hurry up and get over here!"

_...Does Misono like spy movies?_ Mahiru pondered absently as he walked over to Misono's hiding spot. _He sure is excited about spying on his classmate...Speaking of which..._

"There are a lot of people wandering around here today. And they're all really excited for some reason..." Mahiru noted.

"Of course they are. The 'Drama Club Special' is a renowned event here, starring two of the most popular students."

"Ah. The drama club's Romeo and...Cinderella. Why are they named that anyway?"

Misono frowned slightly. "Shirota, you lack imagination. As a shoujo manga assistant, I expected more from you..."

"...Sorry...?"

"Why are you— never mind." Misono sighed. "Let me ask you this, what comes to mind when I say 'Cinderella'?"

"Uh...a girl doing housework...who met a fairy that brings her to a fancy ball with her animal friends..." Mahiru thought aloud. "...Then the prince chases after her with her shoe and falls for her?...Oh, and then a happy ever after!"

"...I am amazed at your ability to retell a story in such a simplistic way that it sounds exceptionally mundane." Misono sighed. "Just observe over there. The main character has arrived."

The purple-haired boy pointed towards a cluster of students. Looking closer, Mahiru could see a young man with dark hair aside from a single white tuft on it, who wore a black hoodie standing in the middle of hordes of starry-eyed students.

"Come with me. Together we can cross the rainbow bridge to the garden in the fluffy clouds." The mysterious raven called out, closely followed by a muffled squeals coming from the girls around him. When the male turned his back towards the two hiding in the bushes, Mahiru caught a glimpse of...wings?!

_...He's the Cinderella? He acts more like a Romeo if you ask me..._ Mahiru thought, surprised. _And does he actually have wings?!!_

"It's his personal preference." Misono said, in response to Mahiru's confusion. "He never goes anywhere without that winged backpack."

"...So that's—"

"Yes. He's the genius ‘princess’ of 1-A, Licht Jekylland Todoroki."

"Shouldn't he be a prince instead? With the lines he's speaking to his fangirls..." Mahiru countered. "Either that or maybe the fairy...godm— erm…godfather?"

"You seem to be misunderstanding something, Shirota." Misono sent a disapproving look at Mahiru. "First, you watch too many mafia movies. Second, he is in no way a lady-killer. Rather he doesn't even acknowledge his fan club."

_Mafia…movies...? And what does Misono mean by ignoring his fans?_ After listening to Misono, Mahiru found himself with even more questions than before.

"Look again." Misono continued. "Things are often different than how they first appear."

Mahiru did as he was told. Leaning further out of the bush to get a better view, he noticed that Licht was not actually glancing at any of his fans at all. Rather, he was staring intensely at a figure perched on the lowest branch of the tree. Specifically, a figure with four legs and a long, fuzzy tail.

Mahiru stared blankly. _W-Wait...This whole time he was talking to A CAT?!!_

"It's a known fact that Todoroki likes animals far more than people." Misono supplied. "That and his tendency for spewing fairy tale-like lines."

_What does that even mean?_?

"It seems the co-star has arrived." Misono announced. Thoroughly lost, Mahiru turned back and noticed someone dashing towards the group.

"LICHTAN~! THERE YOU ARE!!"

The newcomer was a young man with mustard blond hair that fades to black on the ends. He wore dark glasses and a matching scarf over...what probably started out as a school uniform. The orange jacket was reduced to a sleeveless vest, while the blazer and most (if not all) of the buttons on the white shirt were missing. The tie and bottoms were somehow dyed a different color too.

_...This is the prince?!_ Mahiru wondered. _Also, how does the disciplinary teacher allow so many school rule violations to happen without doing anything?!_

"I was looking everywhere for you! Geez~ you're such a handful sometimes!" The new blond called out to the 'winged' male. Spectators parted like the red sea as he got closer. "Now come on, your escort awaits!"

It happened too fast for Mahiru to follow. One moment, the blond stopped beside the black-haired student, placing his hand on the other's shoulder. The next moment the bespectacled young man was sailing through the air and landing upside down in a nearby shrub. More specifically, the shrub right next to where the two 'spies' were currently hiding in.

_Ah! Is he okay?!!_

"Ow...That hurt, Lichtan!" The blond cried out, with a sharp edge to his voice. It appeared that he was too preoccupied with the winged male to notice the two boys awkwardly crouching beside him. "You are **really** troublesome sometimes, you know that?!"

"Shut up and die, you shit rat!" Came the hostile response.

Before Mahiru could react, the blond had already jumped up and lunged forward. In his hand, a sword had appeared from seemingly nowhere which he thrusted at Licht. The raven dodged gracefully and proceeded to strike back with his dark boots. Like a fantastical and violent dance, the two parried back and forth as their audience cheered in awe.

_This is what everyone gathers to watch every day afterschool?_ Mahiru wondered, dumbfounded. _I really don't get high schoolers sometimes..._

The blond and the raven continued their clash with agile leaps and strikes, punctuated by the occasional jeering taunts and irritated threats.

_I've got to admit, these two are really good actors. This scene is so realistic!_ The brown-haired boy continued. _Especially that blade! It appeared so sudden! I wonder how they did that…_

If Mahiru had turned around then, he would have noticed a disgruntled member of the fencing team stomping away with only a helmet in hand. Gaining sympathetic pats and looks from his friends, the group of white-clad students returned to the gym, likely never to be mentioned again.

"You understand why he is Cinderella now?" Misono asked suddenly. "He fits all the criteria. The animals, the magical accessories and a prince chasing him after falling head over heels thanks to his choice in footwear."

_That COUNTS?!!_ Mahiru was currently facing yet another immense culture shock. _Just how strong are these shoujo filters?!!_

"Whoa~ So close, Lichtan~" The blond called in a sing-song voice as he sidestepped yet another deadly kick. 

"Stop hopping around!" Licht tsked and glared venomously. "Die until you—!!"

A loud whistle resounded through the air. Everyone stilled.

"STOP!!" The source of the whistle and shout came running from the school building. It was a tall man with long, beige hair cascading down his shoulder in a loose braid. He wore a crisp, violet suit and looked to be a teacher of some sort. "It's time for practice, so stop playing around you two!!"

_Did he just say playing around?_ Mahiru realized. _...That means it WASN'T an act just now?!?!_

"Licht, you know that we’re all waiting for you to start practice! Don't run off with your animals right after class!” The adult chided. In the background, the blond student smirked as he leaned on the tree behind him, amused.

"And you, Hyde! I asked you to pick up Licht for practice, not pick a fight with him _again_!"

"Aww~ But he started it!!" "Hmph. It's that annoying rat’s fault."

Before the two could start another fight, another shrill whistle rang out. "Stop!! No more fighting!"

The aforementioned students exchanged glares and got ready to lunge at one another. This time, a new figure appeared on the scene and grabbed Licht and Hyde by the collar of their shirts before they could move. To the shock of the onlookers, the newcomer was...a giant whale.

...What?

Mahiru did a double-take. It was in fact, a whale, or more precisely a person(?) in a blue whale costume standing there. Lifting the two dazed students up effortlessly, the man in the suit proceeded to drag them away. Since the show appeared to have reached its conclusion, the crowds loitering around began to disperse as well.

_That...was certainly dramatic..._ Mahiru commented internally. To his left, Misono discarded his twigs and began to move.

"Come on! We must follow them!!" The purple-haired boy rushed ahead, hot on the drama club's heels. Not wanting to lose Misono again, Mahiru also got up and ran after the other.

* * *

The two manga assistants hurried through the school corridor.

"I see them up ahead!!" Mahiru exclaimed. _How can that whale go so fast while dragging two high school students?!!_

"...Misono?" His purple-haired friend was nowhere to be seen. Looking back, Mahiru saw Misono at the far end of the hall, panting heavily. "Are you ok?!!"

"...Yes...I'm fine." He answered, leaning against the wall beside him. He looked just about ready to collapse. "...Just a little...winded from...the chase..."

"It's only been a minute or two. And we aren't even running..."

"...Go on without me...Shirota...I'll catch up..." Misono said as seriously as he could in his current state. "I'm...entrusting this mission...to you."

"You can count on me!!" Mahiru replied and ran off with determination.

"...Heh. I've always wanted to say that once." Misono smirked. He pushed himself up away from the wall and stared at the direction that Mahiru disappeared to. Slowly, he began to step forward. "Now that he's gone, I can finally—"

Misono collapsed backwards onto the floor of the hall.

* * *

_I need to finish the character study! Misono and Kuro are counting on me!!_ Mahiru thought with his hardened resolve. Up ahead, he saw the giant whale disappear behind a pair of large wooden doors.

Quietly, the brown-haired protagonist walked up to the door and peered through a small gap. Inside was a massive auditorium with countless people bustling about with various props. Towering stacks of chairs were pushed to the two walls on the side. At the far end of the room, a grandiose stage stood proudly, lined with velvety, crimson curtains. Standing on the wooden surface of stage were the familiar figures of Licht and Hyde. Across from the pair, the giant whale appeared to be staring them down intensely and waving its arms (flippers?) wildly.

_Is it...attacking them?_ Mahiru wondered. _No...Wait...lecturing? I can't hear from here..._

"Hey, what are you doing there?"

"Eh? Umm..." Mahiru noticed the man with beige hair looking at him. _Oh no! I've been spotted!!_

 "I know!" The man snapped his fingers. "You must have come to watch Licht's performance! Come on in!!"

"I'm Rosen Krantz, the advisor for the drama club." The man ushered Mahiru into the auditorium with a wide smile. "It's always delightful to meet a young admire of his art. His piano is one of the highlights of our performances."

"He's not an actor?" Mahiru questioned, confused. He glanced towards the two boys currently arguing again up ahead. Only the menacing looking whale behind them prevented them from starting an all-out battle. "But I thought for sure those two..."

"Oh heavens no! Licht is a musician. The best I have ever met, in fact! He provides the musical accompaniment mostly, although he does fill in for others during emergencies." Krantz responded. "Hyde, however—"

"Hey." A sudden yell interrupted their conversation. Licht approached the two with a fierce look, the bespectacled blond following closely. "Identify yourself. Are you an angel? Or a demon?"

"Ah! Licht, Hyde! Good timing." Krantz called out. He gave Mahiru a wide grin. "Good for you, young man! You can get to know them up close and personal now!"

_I don't think they look willing to get close at all right now..._ Mahiru glanced at the wary gazes sent his way. Krantz, oblivious to the rising tension in the group, just patted Mahiru on the back amiably and walked off to speak with another student. “Wait a mo—“

"Careful Lichtan~ He might be here to steal your popularity~" Hyde sang with a twirl. "...with your so-called animal buddies~!"

"Hah?!"

"No, I'm not--" Mahiru started.

"Or you must be a spy!"

_Urk...Did they find out?_ Mahiru wondered as he looked around. _Still, I can't let my friends down now! I've got to think of something!_

"My name is Shirota Mahiru from 1-B!! I, uh, I'm a big fan of yours!!" Mahiru blurted out abruptly. "I really like you–r ... show and I'm here for...an autograph?"

He pulled out the random piece of paper that was hiding in his pocket and handed it to Licht.

"Is that a confession?" Hyde questioned with a raised eyebrow. "To Lichtan?"

"WHAT?! NO!! Why does everyone think that?!!" "Hm. This is a shopping list." Came the simultaneous answers.

"Why are you so flustered then~?" The blond prompted with a smirk and a raised brow.

"...Why? Well..." Mahiru mentally grasped at straws, trying to come up with a convincing story. In the end, he simply decided to just go for it. "I-It's my first time meeting a celebrity! ...And I really wanted to know why you guys are called the Romeo and Cinderella of the drama club!"

Belatedly, Mahiru recalled a certain girl's advice to not call them that in person. It was already too late by then to do anything, unfortunately for him.

_Oh no!! I can't believe I just called him a princess right to his face!! He's going to get offended!_

"...I'm not Cinderella." Licht stated bluntly as he shot an intense look at Mahiru. "Why? Because I'm... **an angel**."

Mahiru stood there, both relieved and shocked speechless. Not only did Licht give the most unexpected reaction to his comment, the boy in the black hoodie also struck an amazingly dramatic pose at the same time. Shifting his weight more on one leg, the raven had one hand raised proudly towards the ceiling with the other holding his elbow. Around his figure, a vibrant light and a flurry of sparkles descended from above.

"..." Mahiru continued to stare blankly. _I think I get why he's a star of the drama club now, even if he isn't an actor._

"..."

"...Hey." Licht spoke, looking back.

Everyone turned their attention to the scarf-wearing blond that had been standing there for quite a while with a distant look.

"Oi, shit rat!"

"Huh? Wh--How great...! Too handsome~! This delusional Angel-chan!!" Hyde seemed to snap out of his daze and cheered loudly, jumping around wildly behind the raven.

_Do they get along or don't they...I can't tell._ Mahiru questioned internally, ignoring the ridiculousness of the situation for now.

"A-also Romeo sounds so _old_ , ya know..." Hyde said with an exaggerated sigh after returning to his spot. "I'd much rather you call me the drama club's idol and master handyman, Lawless-chan~!"

"Law—?!"

At that exact moment, a loud slam of the door echoed and a very familiar-looking purple-head entered. The new arrival surveyed the room briefly before striding in a dignified manner over to the three boys.

"Misono! You're ok!" Mahiru exclaimed relieved when the other approached.

"Shirota." Misono nodded back. He then turned to look straight at the two drama club members. "Todoroki, I am Alicein Misono. This one here is under my supervision. We are here on very important business."

"Hn." Licht nodded back with a hint of recognition. His frown remained ever-present on his face.

"Oh yeah~! You're that midget genius, right? I remember seeing you in Angel-chan's class!" Hyde cut in with a grin. "Must be hard to deal with this guy all day, huh little boy?"

Licht growled and redirected his sharp glare back at the snickering blond, his leg poised to strike. Feeling the growing animosity, Mahiru tried to get everybody to calm down. Unfortunately, he was a bit too late.

Hyde was sent flying onto the floor by a well-aimed strike to the face. An awkward silence filled the room as everyone stilled.

"Oww! What was that for?!" Hyde cried out while clutching his face. Mahiru and Licht stood silently, having not yet moved from their previous positions. Misono calmly walked towards the fallen blond and picked up the thick dictionary beside him.

"It will be in your best interests to never again call me _little_." The purple-head stated flatly and walked off.

_...I can't believe this._ Mahiru thought. _Is everyone around me a weirdo?_

Licht lowered his leg and walked towards the whining blond still sitting on the wooden floor.

"Huh? Have you come to help me in my time of need, Angel-chan~?" Hyde asked in an excessively surprised tone. "How unexpected~! I am touched~!"

 "Quiet, you lying demon. You deserve to be exorcised." The raven responded with a swift kick to the blond's side, causing him to roll over on the ground with a groan. Without batting an eye, Licht turned to face Misono directly. "What business do you have in the drama club?”

"We were requested by another to observe individuals that would seem inspirational and worthy of study. You should be honored to be chosen." Misono announced proudly.

_Well that's definitely one way to put it._

"Inspirational. Hm, I see." Licht nodded. He spun around and approached the blond teacher watching their exchange with interest from afar. "Krantz, the stage."

"Licht, you're going to play today?" Krantz asked, surprised. "Everything is ready for you though, as always."

"Ehh?!! Lichtan, you're gonna play for them?!" Hyde complained childishly. "Even though you kick me every time _I_ ask?! Traitor!! Meanie!!"

"Silence. Be a good audience and sit there, rat." Licht leaped gracefully onto the stage where the curtains pulled back to reveal a grand piano standing proudly on the lacquered floor. The lights dimmed, leaving a bright spotlight to fall on the majestic instrument. Lifting the fall board, the pianist sat down and began to press the keys precisely and with an air of finesse. Soft piano melodies filled the large room, echoing within the tall walls. Everyone stopped what they were doing, awed by the impromptu performance. The one responsible for this remained oblivious to everyone's expressions as well as the flurry of feathers descending upon his form, too deep in his own fantastical world.

"Licht-san is amazing..." Mahiru breathed out. Beside him, Krantz smiled widely like a proud parent.

"Of course he is! He isn't the genius pianist for nothing!" The one to interject was not the blond teacher, but rather Hyde. Without looking away from the self-proclaimed angel for even a moment, he spoke. "Plus, I wouldn't have chosen him if he was anything less than amazing."

Seeing Mahiru's confused face, Krantz explained. "Licht was the one to bring Hyde to into the drama club. We were looking for new talents at the time after the seniors graduated and Hyde's potential caught our eye. Even though he doesn't perform on stage..."

A flicker of light on stage. Licht moved elegantly in time with the music. Mahiru could have sworn he saw actual wings behind the raven-haired young man for a moment.

_The drama club is amazing! I can't wait to tell Kuro about this later!!_ Mahiru commented internally. _Too bad he couldn't come with us today..._

Eventually, the performance came to a dramatic finish. Applause filled the auditorium as Licht slowly rose from his spot before the dark instrument.

"Hmph. I will admit that it was certainly an inspirational performance, Todoroki." Misono huffed. "I can see why you are admired in this school, even if your social skills are quite lacking."

_You're one to talk, Misono..._ Mahiru deadpanned.

"Of course." Licht responded. "Why? Because I'm an **angel**."

The lights and sparkles returned. Hyde also appeared suddenly at the back, without anyone noticing him move. "Too cool!! In Japanese it's 'Kakkoi'!! So handsome!! The last angel to fall onto this world!!"

"That's enough, you three." Krantz called out. "We need to get back to practicing now."

The two boys obediently (for once) leaped off the stage and returned to the group.

"Wait...three?" Mahiru questioned. "But there are only two of them..."

"Yes, three." Krantz responded. "We also have our special effects expert up there that always helps out with their antics. Even though the clean-up after is..."

_So that's where the lights and sparkles come from..._ Mahiru realized.

"Why don't I introduce you?" Krantz looked up at the shadowed space above the stage and yelled loudly. "Come on down, Tinker!!"

The sound of quick footsteps on metal was heard. Before long, a figure could be seen appearing from backstage. It was a girl with long blonde hair. A _very familiar_ blonde, in fact.

"AH! IT'S YOU!!" Mahiru hollered in surprise.

"Hey!" The girl grinned. "You were the one who was completely lost earlier, right?"

"Ehehe...yeah..."

"The name's Yosetsu! But everyone just calls me Tinker!" She raised her hand in front of Mahiru. "I'm in class 2-A! Nice to meet ya~!"

"Ah, I'm Shirota Mahiru in 1-B! Please take care of me from now on!!" Mahiru shook her hand politely. _She's older than me? And in the advanced class too!_

"So what do you think of the drama club so far?"

"Everybody's really incredible!!"

"Aren't they?" She giggled. "There's never a dull moment with this group~!”

_I can imagine...._ Mahiru thought distantly.

"You and your friend are welcome to come by anytime and watch~!" Tinker grinned and grabbed two chairs from the side. "Here~! Sit down and enjoy the show!!"

"Huh?! Wa—"

"The full course Drama Club Special~! Coming right up!"

Pushed onto the chair, Mahiru and Misono had no way to escape. Thus, they spent the rest of the afternoon observing the Drama Club and their famous antics. During the entire fiasco, Mahiru had one thought lingering in his mind.

_I hope Kuro is doing fine...and actually working for once._

* * *

A bell chimed as Mahiru entered the air-conditioned store. Wandering through the aisles, he searched for the items on his shopping list.

"Eggs, spring onion and noodles. Oh, I can't forget Cookies & Cream ice cream too."

Just as he carried his armful of groceries to the counter, Mahiru felt a buzz in his pocket.

"Kuro? Did you need something?" Mahiru brought his phone up and asked. "I'm heading over to your place soon."

_"...instant ramen...I'm all out._ " Came the response.

"I am **not** bringing you more junk food!!" Mahiru shot back. "...I have ingredients for dinner, so just wait a bit longer, okay?"

" _...Hurry...I'm hungryy..._ " Kuro whined in monotone. " _And bring dessert. I have a troublesome guest over...unfortunately._ "

"Are you talking about Yumikage-san?"

" _....No...worse._ "

_Worse than Yumikage-san, who he crawled under a desk to avoid?_ Mahiru wondered curiously. "Well, what dessert do they like? You should be a good host no matter who it is."

"...Can't deal..."

* * *

Mahiru walked up the stairs to Kuro's apartment slowly, being careful not to damage the food he bought. After ending the call with the lazy mangaka, he stopped by a bakery to get a box of pastries before continuing his journey.

With his arms full, he had to resort to calling loudly for the blue-haired boy when he arrived.

"Kuro!! Open up!" Mahiru exclaimed.

The door slowly opened. Mahiru smiled as he saw the furry edges of a familiar blue hoodie. "I brought dinner and the...honeydew angel food cake!"

"...Angel melon?" A voice trailed out from the apartment with a captivated tone.

Mahiru halted. _That voice...sounds familiar..._

The door swung open abruptly to reveal a figure in the blue hoodie with eyes sparkling with excitement. Specifically, a figure with black eyes and black hair with a distinct white stripe.

"L-LICHT-SAN?!!"

"Oh. It's you."

"Why are you— What are— How come you are in Kuro's hoodie?!?"

"Where's the melon?" Licht demanded. Mahiru eyed the white box in his hands without a word. Snatching the box away with a satisfied expression, Licht turned and disappeared back inside the apartment, leaving the brown-haired boy standing awkwardly outside.

"...Mahiru..." A quiet cry was heard from the brightly lit room indoors.

"Ah! Kuro!!" Snapping out of his daze, Mahiru hurried inside the apartment to check on the listless boy. "Are you alright?!!"

The small living room of the apartment was significantly more cluttered than how Mahiru last saw it. While still far cleaner than before, papers and pens covered almost every surface. The lazy mangaka himself was also sprawled on the low table with his upper body flat on the tabletop. To his right, Licht sat contentedly digging through a slice of cake.

"Uhh..." Mahiru responded in the most coherent way he could. He had so many questions about this situation that he had no idea where to start. "Why is Licht-san wearing your hoodie?!"

"...It was the only way to get him to stop petting me..." Kuro mumbled out. "...Can't deal with this...Mahiru, I want food..."

"Mr. Cat, come here. I'll feed you cake." Licht grabbed another fork from somewhere and offered Kuro a bite of cake.

"...No thanks." Kuro looked at Mahiru with a gaze that said 'Save me...'

"...Uh...I'll get dinner ready now, just wait a little longer." Mahiru escaped into the kitchen with his bags and began to make the meal. In a short while, he produced a delicious-looking bowl of noodles for each of them and carried them back out to the living room. _Lucky I bought enough ingredients for the three of us._

The table had been cleared to make space for the food. To be more precise, the previous clutter had merely been relocated to the nearby floor by Kuro, much to Mahiru's disapproval. As the three enjoyed the simple meal, the brown-haired boy decided to voice his questions.

"So...how do you two know each other?"

"Mr. Cat and I had a fated encounter under the tree in the gardens of heaven."

"...Basically I was sleeping in a tree and this violent angel wouldn't leave me alone. I told you the soothing powers of my fuzzy hoodie and I are to be feared..." Kuro sighed.

"Like that it would! ...Or so I'd like to say but..." Mahiru eyed the raven contently playing with the 'borrowed' blue hoodie.

"And then stuff happened...so now he is my assistant in charge of backgrounds." Kuro finished, as if Mahiru had never interrupted.

"You're skipping too much stuff! Also, Licht-san, you can draw?" Mahiru asked. The blue-haired mangaka picked up a random page from the ground and passed it to the brown-haired boy.

"...That's amazing! It's our school hallway, right?" Mahiru gaped. "It looks exactly the same!!"

"I can **envision** it, therefore I can **create** it." Licht responded. "It is not merely the _school hallway_. Every image on the page is something born from my own will, therefore it is always 'the one and only'."

_Wow…That was...really inspiring..._ Mahiru marvelled. At the other end of the table, Kuro pulled out a small notebook with 'Quotable Character Lines' and scribbled something down.

"Oh...Wait. If Licht-san is in charge of backgrounds, how come you still tried to cover everything with lines and sparkles before?" Mahiru glanced skeptically at Kuro.

"He always has performances and club activities, so I can't push my workload on him..." Kuro complained, as if it was a major inconvenience to him. "Plus...I can't deal with this kind of over-the-top violent angel character...."

"DO YOUR OWN WORK!!" Mahiru exclaimed. _But I know what he means by hard to deal with...I can't communicate with Licht-san at all!_

Eventually, the three boys finished up their meal and got to work (with varying levels of willingness). Mahiru sat beside Kuro to make sure he is not slacking off, and to make it easier to ask any questions if needed. On the opposite side of the table, Licht sat with his pencil soaring nimbly across the pages, fully immersed in his own realm.

Mahiru watched in admiration. _Now if only Kuro had the same level of dedication to his work..._

"...So he was the one you and Bastard-chan stalked today?" Kuro asked, interrupting Mahiru's train of thoughts.

"Huh? Oh yeah, apparently Misono and Licht-san are classmates." He replied. "And we didn't stalk him! ...More like spied on him..."

"..."

"But since you know him already, you probably used him for a character already, right?"

"...No..." Kuro sighed and deflated onto the table. "No one can to keep up with his character in a heart-throbbing shoujo manga...look..."

Kuro grabbed a handful of papers from the floor and began to scribble lazily. Still, he finished whatever he was doing in a matter of minutes and pushed it lightly towards the boy beside him. Picking up the papers, Mahiru could make out a few messily drawn scenes in manga form.

_'Today we have a new transfer student, Ange-kun.' The teacher gestured at the quiet boy standing beside him._

_'Oh my~ The new guy is so cool~!!' A generic girl whispered loudly to her friend._

_'I know right~? He is totally my type! I need to write a love-letter now!!"_

_'What if he gets taken by the most plain-looking girl here, who is actually the heroine? Oh no, we need to hide her shoes and laugh annoyingly right away!!'_

_Completely ignoring the loud whispering in front of him, the teacher continued._

_'Please tell the class a bit about yourself.' The quiet boy stepped forward at the teacher's request._

_'I am an archangel descended from the heavens. My mission is to exterminate the demons hidden within this school.' He spread his arms out to the sides and giant, white wings sprouted from his back._

_The door burst open to reveal another student._

_'Kya~ It's Dark-sama! The student council president!!' Some random girl squealed out and fainted in the middle of the class._

_'Foolish angel! You think you have a chance at defeating me?!' The student council president took off his glasses and dark bat-like wings burst out from behind him._

_'Dark, my eternal nemesis! Today is the day I will defeat you!' The transfer student pulled a sword from nowhere and charged. Both him and the devilish president crashed through the window, ending up outside above a dense forest._

_The incarnate of evil laughed nefariously as he summoned many smaller demons and a villainous scythe from a cloud of smoke and retaliated._

_Everyone in the classroom watched in awe as the two figures clashed, only visible as trails of light and darkness shooting across the sky._

"...And then it becomes an action-packed, testosterone-filled shounen manga." Kuro concluded in his usual unmotivated tone.

"...what just happened?" Mahiru stared blankly at the pages in his hands.

"There's more..."

"Eh?!!"

_'U-umm, Ange-kun..." A pretty-looking girl stepped in front of the boy with her head ducked down. 'P-please take this!!'_

_A bag of cookies and a pink letter were roughly shoved into his arms before the girl ran away as if she was chased by a horde of angry gorillas._

_The angelic boy opened the now crushed bag of cookies and proceeded to feed his beloved pigeons with the crumbs. Opening the letter in the meantime, he could barely read the bubbly writing under the countless heart drawings._

_> >Ange-senpai,_

_I have always been watching you. Always. I've admired you ever since the day you saved my cat from a tree with your wonderful wings._

_Please come to the rooftop afterschool today. Alone._

_Love,_

_Your Secret Admirer <<_

_Since the universe feels that teenage love is infinitely more important than academics, it immediately becomes afterschool. As requested, Ange-kun headed up to the rooftop where the girl was waiting for him anxiously._

_'Ange-kun! You came!'_

_'Of course. It is the duty of an archangel to listen to the prayers of humans.'_

_'Then please listen to what I have to say' The girl looked down nervously at her shoes before continuing loudly. 'I REALLY LIKE YOU, ANGE-KUN! PLEASE GO OUT WITH ME!!'_

_'I apologize. I have no interest in humans.' The angel stated._

_'B-but you went out of your way to save my cat!' She countered. 'That tells me that you really care about me!'_

_'The one I was concerned about was the pure-hearted calico trapped in the tree.' Ange-kun said. 'I only love animals.'_

_Heartbroken, the young girl looked hopelessly at the back of the winged boy. 'I understand. If that's the case...'_

_A dark shape flew quickly towards the boy. Soaring up with a flap of his wings, Ange turned to see the young girl holding an ominous-looking trident. On her head, two crimson horns pointed towards the sky._

_'I'LL MAKE SURE NO ONE ELSE CAN HAVE YOU EITHER!!" Another slash. The angel pulled out his holy sword to counter._

_'A demon. I'll exorcise you!'_

_An intense battle began in the sky above the school building._

"...And then a bad end." Kuro said.

"W-Wait a minute!! Why does it always end in a fight?!"

"...That's exactly what I mean...There's no one that can partner him at this rate..." Kuro stated. "The story will fall apart...then I won't have money for games..."

"That's **all** you care about? Games...?" Mahiru's eye twitched in irritation. "What are you going to do about the new character then?"

"...It's fine...I have a backup plan..."

"Really? That's great! What are they like?" Mahiru asked, interested.

"According to Misono, the domestic type is popular nowadays..." Kuro mumbled. "...So I'll just do that..."

"The...domestic type?"

"...you know...making bentos, treating injuries, worrying too much that they forget about themselves..." Kuro answered lazily. "It's right up there with stray-loving delinquents..."

"...Ok...then...Sounds nice and simple, really."

"Readers can never get enough fluff..." Deciding to trust the blue-haired boy's expertise in this subject, Mahiru simply let the matter go.

* * *

_Shirota Mahiru. 15 years old. Today I realized a major difference between reality and fiction. Real life is full of weirdos. Fiction is where normal is good. I have come to see once again that simple is best._

"...That doesn't sound right..."

"KURO! Don't interrupt the ending monologue!! Get back to work!"

"Ugh...Can't deal..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey~ Congrats on getting through this 20-page long chappie of craziness :D!
> 
> Hope you at least had fun? :P   
> LOL I originally had some kind of plan for this...but then all the characters got sort of carried away? (well it's greed and the others, what did you expect?) XP
> 
> As a random note, Misono most likely grabbed the "goods" from the back of Lily's hyper-dimensional closet. LOL the only things that would possibly fit him...  
> They were just hidden in there and no one knew about it (probably? maybe? heh)  
> It's probably a separate dimension in there 0.0
> 
> Also it is a fact that I cannot make super quotable lines, inspirational or delusional or otherwise :P...nor can I Shakespeare (if anyone wondered why Hyde didn't quote it once). XD  
> If anyone has some good ones, I welcome them to share (plz~) :D 
> 
> ******BIG NOTICE(?)*********  
> For the next chapter, I'm planning to do a Christmas Special....well probably a 2 part one. Since winter break is coming up, I'll actually have TIME to do that...most likely :D. I expect the first of the two to be out on Christmas (25th)...give or take a few time zones LOL :P 
> 
> I'm gonna need some help though...if anyone can think of any well-known (or not-so-well-known) Christmas/Holiday stories, please put them in the comments below!   
> I haven't paid attention to Christmas movies and songs in a LONG time :P (literally all I can think of is Rudolph the Reindeer XD)
> 
> Thanks in advance!  
> *********BIG NOTICE END*************
> 
> I look forward to seeing you all again in the next installment!


	5. The Christmas Chaos - Part 1: Backstage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas time~! And as always, Mahiru and Kuro get caught up in some sort of dramatic problem! What will happen? Will they get out *alive*?!  
> We'll just have to see...  
> (Part 1 of 2 of a Christmas Special~!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Umm...I really hope this is in time for Christmas LOLOL (it's like 11:58pm of the 25th right now XD) 
> 
> As mentioned before, here is the (sorta rushed) Christmas Special *yaaay* :D I kind of procrastinated and didn't revise as much as usual (sorry)...So if there are any awkward parts or errors, please tell me and I'll fix them~!
> 
> I wanted to originaly make it in time for Christmas Eve (and Lichtan's birthday, but sadly that didn't happen T.T) Sorry and Happy Belated Birthday Lichtan~!! :D
> 
> Just as a warning, it's gonna be chaotic (as the title implies), but since it is a *special*, it kind of branches off from the plot so everyone just magically gets along and causes craziness as much as they can without serious plot developments in the way. So don't think too hard about this lol XD It's like mostly canon to this fic? I dunno I haven't decided yet LOL :P Maybe it will be canon?
> 
> Anyways, a big thanks as always to the people who commented and kudo-ed last chapter~! :D Oh, and a special thanks to the two who gave me suggestions after I asked last chapter of what to put in this special...of course, what will actually end up happening ...well you will have to read to find out XDD  
> So a big shout-out and thanks to lonercat and Astra199 !! (I have no idea how to add hyperlinks onto your usernames and stuff, sorry!! If someone could tell me how that would be great~! :D) 
> 
> Without further ado, onto the chappie~! :P Enjoy and Merry Christmas + Happy New Year!!

"...Haaahh...It's too cold..." Kuro complained in his usual monotone. "...They shouldn't make poor students come to school in these conditions..."

The air had steadily grown chillier as winter arrived. Traces of snow covered the landscape in a soft white. Mahiru and Kuro slowly walked across the courtyard after a long day.

"It's a student's duty to come for tests no matter what the weather is!" Mahiru said resolutely. On top of his uniform, he was bundled up in a long, beige sweater, a dark wool hat and matching scarf. "Plus, you're feeling cold because you aren't dressed for the weather!"

The boy beside him shrugged in his signature blue hoodie. "I **am** dressed for the weather...This is my winter hoodie."

"It's exactly the same!!!"

"This hoodie is made with material that is 60% warmer and fuzzier. It guarantees improved softness and soothing abilities."

"Like I'd believe that!!" With a frustrated sigh, Mahiru pulled off his scarf and wrapped it around the mangaka's neck. "You need to dress more warmly...what if you catch a cold?"

"...Then I’ll have a perfect reason to stay home..."

"Don't skip school! Especially during semester finals!!"

"....Can't deal..."

The two boys continued towards the school entrance in the midst of a flood of students, all eager to get home and rest up (or cry) for the weekend after yet another difficult test.

From the corner of his eye, Mahiru spotted a familiar-looking man dashing past with a troubled expression.

"Krantz-san?!"

"Ah, Mahiru-kun." The long-haired man turned and greeted him with a polite smile. "I hope your tests are going well. Are you headed home with your friend now?"

"Oh right! This is Kuro." Mahiru gestured to the listless boy beside him, who waved lazily. "Kuro, this is Krantz-san, the Drama Club's advisor."

"Ah. Angel-chan's babysitter."

"Kuro!!" Mahiru hissed out under his breath.

"You must be one of Licht's friends, then!" Krantz smiled widely. "I'm glad he is getting along well with other people these days."

Mahiru brushed off the mental image of Licht surrounded by cats and looked at Krantz again. "Krantz-san, did something happen? You look troubled."

"It's nothing much." The man sighed lightly. "We're just a bit short on members to help out with the upcoming Christmas performance."

"Are all the drama club members busy?" Mahiru asked curiously.

"Not exactly...Most of them are out sick due to food poisoning."

"W-what?! Are they ok? What happened?!!" Mahiru yelled in concern. Kuro stealthily took a step back, ready to escape at the first sign of a troublesome situation.

"Our school nurse, Johannes, came by with a fruitcake yesterday. He told us he was experimenting with something and wanted us to try it out for him." Krantz thought aloud. "…Perhaps we left it out for too long?"

"So...The school nurse sent them all to the hospital...?" Mahiru commented.

"When you put it that way, it sounds terrible..." The mangaka pointed out. The brown-haired boy sweatdropped.

"Luckily, Licht had a recital and Hyde apparently had _important business_ yesterday." The beige-haired man continued, unaware of the previous exchange between the pair. "So those two are fine, as well as Tinker who didn't want the cake. But now we have no one else to do the play!"

Kuro glanced briefly towards Mahiru. The other boy seemed to be deep in thought. Getting a bad feeling about the situation, the blue-haired boy reached forward and spoke up. "...Mahiru...we shouldn—"

"WE'LL HELP YOU, Krantz-san!!" The brown-haired boy blurted out enthusiastically.

"....too late..."

"Really? Thank you so much, Mahiru-kun!" Krantz exclaimed with tears in his eyes. "Now the show can go on!"

"It's no problem! We simply want to do what we can to help!"

"...what do you mean _we_..." Kuro's mumble was promptly ignored.

"Please come to the auditorium tomorrow after school. Licht will be back then so I will try to gather as many kind volunteers as I can in the meantime." With a brighter smile, Krantz headed off towards the school. "Well, see you two tomorrow!"

"We'll try talking to our friends too!!" Mahiru yelled back. "Good luck Krantz-san!!" 

"...we'll need it too...." Kuro groaned. Before he could wallow in despair about losing his precious gaming time, a strong grip on his arm dragged him further and further away from the entrance.

"Come on, Kuro! Let's go find the others!!"

"...Wait...Mahiru..." His protests were yet again ignored. "...Can't deal."

 

* * *

 

The drama club's auditorium was as grand as ever. Various holiday-themed banners and decorations lined the walls of the massive room, while holly vines coiled around the crimson curtains.

A number of students were gathered in the room today, talking excitedly amongst their smaller groups. A purple-haired boy stood proudly in the middle of the auditorium, angrily lecturing a tall blond who was trying to toss his jacket in the air. Beside them, two identical-looking girls giggled. On the stage, an exasperated teacher was trying to keep the blond and raven from started yet another fight. From the metal box just above them, a long-haired girl grinned as she played dramatic music from the speakers. A blond boy and another with curly brown hair talked at the side of the room, forgotten by everyone else but each other. A young man in a cowboy outfit alternated between skipping around the irritated boy with purple hair and prodding at a large figure hidden between the towering stacks of chairs at the side. At the other end of the room, a colorful group was attempting acrobatic movements on the mountain of chairs while snapping pictures on their phones. A green-haired boy looked at them in exasperation from his dim corner as they were being chased down by a giant whale.

The doors slammed open suddenly to reveal a flustered brown-haired boy dragging a bored-looking boy in a blue hoodie. Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at the newcomers.

"Sorry we're late!!" Mahiru called out loudly. "Kuro wouldn't get out from under his desk."

"No worries! Now that everyone is here, allow me to give a short explanation about the situation." Krantz said as he gathered everyone around (or on) the stage. "A week from now, we will be performing a holiday-themed play in the Winter Festival hosted by several nearby schools. There will be lots of people attending, including a lot of important school members."

"Heyyy...Where's the cakeee~" A sunglasses-wearing young man whined. "We came because we heard there was cake, right Beru~"

"Of course, Tsubakyun!!" His pink-haired companion replied with vigor. "SO HAND OVER ALL YOUR CAKE RIGHT NOW!!"

"...Why did I agree to come with _these two_..." A boy with grass-green hair sighed, with his face in his hands. Beside him, the two ran around the room in search of cake.

"Anyway, that's where everyone here comes in. Since most of the drama club cannot participate, we need your help to make this event a success!" Krantz continued.

Mahiru raised his hand with a serious expression. "Krantz-san, what do we have so far?"

"Well...about that..." The beige-haired man looked to the side sheepishly. "We have some props in the back, but nothing was really decided yet due to various...circumstances."

"DIE, YOU SHIT RAT!!"

"Too slow, Lichtan~! Are you getting sleepy because it's hibernating season~?"

"Licht! Hyde! Stop this right now!" Krantz ran off to separate the two.

 _Ah...those kinds of circumstances..._ Mahiru realized. Seeing as Krantz was currently distracted, he jumped up onto the stage to try to take control of the situation instead.

"Ahem. Well..." Mahiru gulped awkwardly as all eyes (minus the drama club members) fell upon him. "My name is Shirota Mahiru! 15 years old! I'd like to co-operate with all of you here to make the play a success!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Hmph. I guess a formal introduction is in order, although many of you should have heard of me." The purple-head said in a haughty tone. "I am Alicein Misono of 1-A. I have no intention to act foolishly with the rest of you commoners. So—"

"He's just being shy, don't mind him. By the way, my name is Snow Lily." Lily cut in, much to Misono's annoyance. "To celebrate our first gathering today, allow me to st—"

"No." "Denied."

The pink-haired twins stated flatly as they each swung an inflatable hammer onto Lily's head.

"Ow...Mari, Yuri..." Lily called out as he held his head. "...Where did you get those hammers anyway?"

"Over there." "Backstage."

"Good work you two." Misono smirked proudly. "It seems I have taught you well!"

"...domestic violence..." Kuro commented, in monotone as always.

"Hey! That's our specialty!!" A hyperactive blond leaped down from the control box above while shouting loudly. "You can't just copy us!"

"...You actually _want_ to be known for violence?!" Mahiru gaped, shocked.

"No one can resist a violent, tsundere Angel-chan and a cute, energetic idol like me!" Hyde announced dramatically on the stage. "It's the best and strongest combination of characters!"

"....I really can't understand any of you guys..."

"AHAAHAHAHHAAHA...not interesting at all." The black-haired male sighed.

"That's certainly right, young master!" A man with an eyepatch cut in. "The best and strongest combination is clearly referring to young master and I!"

"NO WAY! Obviously Tsubakyun would rather pair up with me!!" A fight broke out between the man in the eyepatch and the one with a long, pink ponytail.

"...How did simple introductions turn into a character fight..." Mahiru sighed, resignedly. "Speaking of which, who are you all? I don't remember any of you appearing before."

With a cold chill running down his spine, Mahiru realizes that he (somehow) must have said the wrong thing as the arguing pair froze. Two pairs of blazing red eyes shot daggers at the poor boy.

"What insolence! How can you have not heard of the young master?!" "HAAAH?! HOW DARE YOU TALK LIKE THAT ABOUT TSUBAKYUN, PUNK!!"

"Now, now. Calm down, Shamrock, Berukia." Tsubaki said with an amused expression. "Why don't we give them an introduction they'll never forget?"

Tsubaki leapt on the stage and chased off a disgruntled Hyde and Licht. The lights suddenly shut off, leaving one bright spotlight to shine on the raven in the white and red patterned jacket.

"Ranger Red, Tsubaki." The raven stood in the centre of the stage and posed dramatically in a crouch.

"Ranger Pink, The Great Berukia! AHAHA!!" The pink-haired young man laughed crazily as he landed to Tsubaki's right and stuck his arms out in a "cool" way.

"Berukia! Your intro is too long! How dare you try to outshine the young master!!" The platinum blond reprimanded after appearing on the left side of the stage. "Ahem...I am Ranger Silver, Shamrock. I am honored to serve the young master by his side."

"Yours is even longer than mine, idiot Shamrock!"

"...so embarrassing..." a young girl with lavender hair descended from above, wires attached to a harness on her waist. She stood behind Tsubaki with her arms raised. "....Ranger Purple, Otogiri..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

 _How...did they manage to set all this up?_ Mahiru stared along with everyone else at the group on stage. _Though I feel like something is off about this..._

"..."

"....hey! It's your turn!" Shamrock whispered angrily. "...Don't you dare let the young master down!"

"..."

"...Sakuya..." The raven in the middle called out.

"..."

"...Sakuya~"

"..."

"Sakuyaaaaa—"

"Ok! I'll do it! Just stop that, Tsubaki-san..."

The green-haired boy sighed wearily before slowly climbing up the stage. Taking his place beside the only girl of the group, he had an expression that clearly said 'I totally do not want to be here'.

"...Ranger Green....Sakuya..."

"Together we are...The Melancholic Rangers!" All the members lined up in a row, with Tsubaki at the front and numerous hands waving randomly behind him. On cue, all the lights flashed on and sparkles sprouted from the front of the stage like geysers.

"And a special thanks to our honorary ranger up top!" Tsubaki laughed.

"Honorary Ranger Yellow, Yosetsu here!" Tinker called out from the control box with a wide smile.

"Tinker~! Come take a picture so we can send it to Higan!" Tsubaki called out.

"Sure thing~!"

"Heheh, the old man is missing out!" Berukia cackled at the back.

"...uhh...Sakuya..." Mahiru started. "I didn't know you joined the...rangers club..?"

The green-haired boy facepalmed and retreated to a dark corner. "...We're officially the photography club..."

"I see...you seem to have it rough..."

"..."

"Ahahaha!!" An obnoxious laugh suddenly filled the room. Everyone turned to see a blond cowboy laughing amusedly on a chair. Behind him, an annoyed man with a long, black ponytail stood motionless. He wore what looked like a paper bag with holes on his head. "You guys sure are interesting!"

"...Uhh...who are you?" Mahiru asked, seeing as no one else would. "...Are you two older students here?"

"Oh, I would love to tell you~" The young man sighed exaggeratedly. "But that would be a huge spoiler for the future~!"

"Uhh..."

"YOU BASTARD!! What are you doing here?!!" Misono yelled loudly while stomping towards the three. "YOU DON'T BELONG HERE ANYMORE, MI—MMPHH!!"

"Whoa there~!" With a quick jump, the blond moved in front of the purple-haired boy and stuffed a chocolate-flavored milk bun into his mouth. "Remember the author note, Misono! No serious plot this chapter~!"

"Mrrph MRrrfffrrph!!"

 _This guy...is breaking the fourth wall like nothing..._ Mahiru thought worriedly as he watched the blond. _Will we be ok like this?_

"For now, you can just refer to him as Paper Bag Man or something..." The blond said flippantly. "As for me, you may call me The Great Adventurer of the West, A—"

A loud slam interrupted him as the tall figure rose from between the chairs with a low growl. Pulling out a gun from his pocket, he chased the cowboy around the room shooting water at the other.

"Ahaha~! You missed again, Jeje! Ahaha!!"

"......stand still.....Mikuni, you...." The masked man growled so quietly, Mahiru had to strain his ears to hear it.

"Oh my..." Lily sighed. "Despite all our efforts, it seems they have spoiled it themselves...Still, where did the water gun come from?"

"......backstage..."

"It was to be expected, with _these_ unreliable guys involved..." Misono stated flatly with a glare.

"How mean, Misono~!" Mikuni laughed, still running around.

Mahiru stepped forward, ready to stand between the irate purple-head and the teasing blond when he noticed figures in the corner. Walking over, he waves happily.

"Ryuusei! Koyuki! You guys came!"

"Hi Mahiru!" Koyuki smiled. "We're both happy to help out!"

"Hey." Ryuusei waved back. "We've been here since the start, actually."

The three chatted about nothing in particular, relishing in the brief moment of peace they had. In some distant corner of Mahiru's mind, he noted how this was the first time in a long while since he was able to have a normal conversation with somebody. Behind them, an alarmed Krantz tried desperately to stop Licht and Tsubaki from starting a dance war on stage.

Ah. The greatness of normalcy.

 

* * *

 

**Mission: Christmas Play - START**

**Step 1: The Script**

* * *

 

"So what should we do about the script?" Mahiru asked. Everyone sat around in a large circle on the floor of the massive auditorium.

"Maybe we should rely on the one with the best story writing ability here?" Koyuki suggested shyly.

"You mean the one with the highest grades in language arts?" Ryuusei pointed out.

 _The best at writing stories?_ Mahiru looked around at the people sitting around him. _If we are talking about that...it would be the one who is a published author, ri—_

To his left, Mahiru noticed Kuro putting a surprising amount of effort into making himself appear as small as possible inside his blue hoodie. His attempts were almost admirable for the lazy mangaka, considering that he had no way to escape, thanks to Mahiru's keen eyesight and Licht happily pulling at his coattails while ignoring a complaining Hyde.

Catching Mahiru's eye, Kuro looked back pleadingly, like a small kitten standing before a spraying showerhead. His gaze practically screamed '...don't make me do this...'

"Uh..." Everyone turned their attention to Mahiru. "Instead of trying to find _someone_ to do it, why don't we all write it together? If we all put our heads together, we might come up with something great!"

"..."

"An interesting proposal. While I still have my reservations about it, it is not like we have many other options." The purple-head huffed.

"Misono!"

"Yeah! Let's do it, Mahiru!" The green-haired boy called out with a grin from across the room.

"Sakuya!!"

After listening to the two, the rest of the group began to murmur their support or indifference to Mahiru's idea.

"So it's decided then!" Krantz smiled happily. "Let's all work together to make a script now!"

"What kind of story should we do?" Lily asked the two girls beside him.

"Chimney." "Break-in."

"..."

"Perhaps we should look at some current Christmas stories for reference." Tinker supplied helpfully. Pulling out her phone, she proceeded to search up tales online. "Oh! This one is about angels!"

"......Angel?"

"Uh oh..! You said _that word_!" Hyde called out. He looked over at Licht, who was staring at Tinker with excitement.

"Eh? ...Yeah! Look here!" Tinker passed her phone over to the two boys, who huddled around the small device with rapt attention.

"...I believe we just lost two members of our brainstorming team." Misono pointed out. "Not that there were many productive participants to begin with..."

The purple-haired boy glanced to the group on his right with thinly concealed dislike. Tsubaki and Berukia giggled endlessly as they sang random Christmas carols badly with butchered lyrics. Beside them, Shamrock recorded their performance with occasional words of encouragement while Otogiri and Sakuya looked silently across the room. On the other side, Mikuni continued to make fun of an increasingly irritated Jeje.

"Fortunately, I have come up with a solution to our current dilemma." The purple-haired boy continued. "For the most suitable Christmas story, why not ask the one most representative of this holiday himself?"

"...Misono, do you mean..." Lily started hesitantly.

"Of course. I'm talking about Santa Claus himself."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Are you being serious?" Sakuya replied, incredulous.

"Santa Claus?!!" Hyde cackled. "Even this delusional Angel-chan knows that he doesn't ex—Urgh!"

Before he could finish, Hyde was suddenly struck in the face by a flying milk bun.

"Oh my, my hand slipped. Sorry about that, lesser blond character~!" Mikuni smiled brightly.

"Lesser blond—!!" Hyde jumped up quickly, enraged. He glared at Mikuni as he stomped over.

"Hey!!" Mikuni suddenly yelled, a thick novel in his hand. "What is with that heated gaze?!! Stop having indecent thoughts about Abel!!!"

As the book soared towards the panicking Hyde, the bespectacled blond suddenly felt a strong tug on the end of his scarf that sent him to the ground.

"Give it up, lesser rat." Licht commented blankly. "You have no chance at winning here."

"EVEN YOU, Lichtan?!!" Hyde wailed overdramatically. "Everyone's turning against me!!"

"Hey, how about these songs? They seem easy enough to do!" Tinker called out once again, her phone now back in her possession.

"What are they?" Mahiru crawled over to look at Tinker's screen. "Rudolph? Frosty? They sound simple enough, but what are they about?"

"Rudolph, the reindeer with a red nose that was bullied by his classmates for being different." Kuro began. "Then the most popular person of the North Pole comes in and heroically rescues him from the taunting group so they can live happily ever after."

"....Hmm..I don't think that's how it goes..." Lily cut in quietly.

"AHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAA....not interesting at all." Tsubaki interrupted as well. "You have no story-telling skill at all, do you~? You must suck at writing~"

"Allow me to talk about the snowman named Frosty then~!" Mikuni responded. "Maybe you'll find this more interesting, huh~?"

"Is that so~?" The raven asked tauntingly.

"I wonder~" The blond smirked. "Ah~ Frosty the Snowman...a simple being that hid under the cloak of winter. All he wanted to do was approach the playing children without raising suspicion."

"This sounds like a nice story! He must really like kids!" Mahiru commented. Misono nodded in agreement, but stopped and looked away from the storyteller when he realized what he was doing.

"Yes, you're right! He really did like children. When he was surrounded by them, a new feeling began to grow inside of him. An indescribable feeling that made him want to get closer and closer to those innocent children~! He never felt more alive than when he felt their pure gazes on him!"

"Uhh...."

"So much so...that he became obsessed with the feeling. What began as pure joy began to twist into something different inside him..."

"...Lichtan, maybe you shouldn't be listening to this..." Hyde reached over to try to cover the raven's ears.

"What are you doing?! Get away from me you shit rat!" The two began to roll around and fight on the floor, no longer paying attention to the story.

"As I was saying," Mikuni continued. "When he began to approach the children with those heated gazes...Ah! No!! ABEL!! Run away!!!"

"Get on with it!!" Berukia yelled. "I wanna hear the ending!!!"

"He was chased down by the police and caught. The end."

"..."

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAAHAHAAAA—kugk!!"

"TSUBAKYUN!! Are you alright?!" "Young master!!"

"..."

"...We are **not** using that." Mahiru deadpanned. "Let's just keep looking..."

"...how about this then...?" A quiet voice spoke up. Mahiru looked down at the tablet Kuro shoved at his face.

"Kuro, this..."

"This might work!!" Krantz exclaimed happily behind the two.

"Ah! Krantz-san!!"

"...a ninja...?"

"It's decided then! Let's do this one!!"

 

* * *

 

**Step 2 : Prop Hunt**

* * *

 

"Here is where the drama club keeps all of our props and costumes." Krantz explained as he opened the door leading backstage. Everyone walked inside slowly, admiring the extensive collection of items there. "Feel free to look around for things we can use."

"Hey look! I found something cool!" Hyde called out from behind a trunk somewhere. After a series of ruffling noises, the bespectacled blond leaped out with a cheeky grin. "Lichtan~!"

The blond danced around the raven in the black hoodie cheerily. This was nothing out of the ordinary, except for a very noticeable addition behind him. Strapped on his back, Hyde had a fluffy pair of white wings bouncing behind him. "I guess you're not the _last_ angel to appear in this world now~!!"

"..." The raven remained quiet, but everyone could feel the rising bloodlust coming from the young man.

"Eh...Lichtan? Did you break down...?"

"YOU DEMON RAT!!" The self-proclaimed angel climbed on top of a nearby wardrobe and leapt towards Hyde in a flying kick. "DIE UNTIL YOU DIE!!"

"Whoa?! That could've killed me!" Hyde exclaimed as he dodged. "What a violent Angel-chan~"

"Hey, stop you two!" Mahiru tried to calm them down, but to no avail. "You're going to damage the props!"

"...Ah, a kitty-themed apron and cooking set..." Kuro noted blankly. He took out his phone and began snapping pictures.

"..." In front of a large rack of costumes, one green-haired boy looked troubled. "Aren't these..."

"Ohh~?" Tsubaki's voice appeared without warning behind him. "Hey look~! Sakuya found our Halloween costumes~!"

"Really?!" "Is that true, young master?" "...so embarrassing..."

"Oh yeah! I remember that!" Tinker grinned. "Those pictures you guys sent were great!!"

"I have an interesting idea~" Tsubaki smiled. Sakuya immediately felt a chill down his spine. "Why don't we borrow them again right now~? Sudden costume party~!!"

"No...!" Sakuya backed away quickly, but was stopped by a serious-looking Shamrock.

"I will not let you interfere with the young master's wishes."

"Oh~ I found a Santa dress here! Sakuyaaaa~" Tsubaki called in a sing-song voice.

"M-Mahiru! S-Save me, please!!"

"Sakuya!!!"

While the rest of the group ran around chaotically, the art club members were peacefully looking at a box of props on the other end of the room.

"This." "Strong."

The pinked-haired twins fished out a pair of massive hammers from the box. They both had long yellow shafts and red, spring-like face on top.

"...Mari, Yuri...I think those are a bit too dangerous..." Lily commented nervously.

"...These!" Misono gasped, amazed. "They must be the rumored Mega Pico Pico Hammers!!"

"To be amazed by such a small thing, how sad..." Mikuni appeared from the other side of the box with a overdramatic sigh. Tipping his hat slightly, he continued. "Now, gaze upon this legendary artifact in wonder!"

"THAT!!" Misono stared in shock.

"Yes. It is the ultimate item passed down for centuries to defeat jokers...the paper fan." In Mikuni's hand was, in fact, a giant folded paper fan with a red handle. With a grin, he lowered it in front of Misono, who looked at it in amazement.

"The legendary paper fan...!" The purple-head breathed out. "I never believed I would encounter it here!!"

"I'm so happy for you, Misono!" Lily said, looking every bit like a proud parent. Behind him, Jeje silently dug through a collection of toy guns inside the box with contentment.

Within the wondrous realm known as the backstage room, the group of students ran around excitedly for a very long time, discovering all sorts of secrets hidden inside this small space.

Now, if one was to ask whether they managed to find what they needed for the play....

...Well, that might just be a story for another time.

"Wait, what?!"

"...Mahiru...let the line break come already..."

"But, Kuro—?!"

 

* * *

 

After yet another long, long session of practice, crazy antics and chaotic fighting, the group began to pack up and head home.

"...Haah...so tired..." Kuro groaned. "...I'll need to rest for a whole week to recover from this...."

"Like hell you can! The show is tomorrow!!" Mahiru snapped back. The two boys were packing up their bags and moving the chairs in the auditorium (with varying levels of motivation).

" _Kyuui_!"

"Huh? Did you say something Kuro?" Mahiru asked.

"...No..."

" _Kyui kyuuii_!"

The two looked around curiously. Suddenly, a dark blur sped past their legs, almost causing them to lose their balance.

"Hm? It's you." Mahiru and Kuro turned towards Licht, who was looking down and speaking to a small lump on the ground. It was a tiny, black hedgehog with three white spikes wearing (or more accurately, carrying) what appeared to be a pair of fluffy, white earmuffs with angel wing designs. Picking up the small animal, Licht began to pet it gently after removing the earmuffs from its back. "Is this for me?"

While Licht was busy playing with the hedgehog, everyone else stared in confusion when a figure appeared behind the distracted raven. With a quick motion, the figure raised his arms and threw a long object onto the self-proclaimed angel.

"Wha—?!"

It was a long scarf, with the pattern of piano keys on it. Hyde began chuckling at the expression on Licht's face. "Heheheh~! Did I surprise you, Lichtan~?"

"You—?!"

"Happy birthday, Lichtan~!!" The blond grinned. Behind him, Krantz and Gil also stepped forward with presents in hand, albeit wrapped.

"Happy Birthday Licht!"

"!!!"

"It's Licht-san's birthday today?!!" Mahiru whispered loudly to the lazy boy beside him.

"....Yep...I even bothered to bring him something..." Kuro motioned to the bag of melon bread in his hand.

"That's not a proper present!!" The brown-haired boy chided. "Also, where did that hedgehog come from?"

"That's Hyde's pet." Tinker announced suddenly from behind Mahiru.

_Whoa! When did she get here?!_

"He's always complaining that Licht likes that little guy way more than him~ Funny, isn't it?" The girl giggled.

"...I see..."

"Well, since it's come to this....Let's party!!!" With a press of a button that appeared out of nowhere, the lights dimmed and music began to play.

"A party! Great idea!!" Krantz agreed happily. "We can celebrate Licht's birthday and the completion of the play at the same time!!"

Suddenly, an idea seem to have struck the beige-haired man. He walked over to the mini-fridge hidden at the edge of the stage.

"Since it's a party...who wants some **cake**?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was crazy XD I hope you enjoyed it (and your holidays)!! :D
> 
> It's my first try juggling with such a HUGE cast in ONE chapter...so I kept forgetting about people in different parts XD (sorry Koyuki & Ryuusei!!)
> 
> Still, it was really fun to write! Even if Melancholy kept hijacking the story every once in a while to do whatever they want!! XD
> 
> I personally feel that Tinker is the type to get along with literally everyone in the cast :P Because she is just that fun. If she wasn't part of C3, honestly her and Melancholy would be a crazy-awesome group to have a parties! XD
> 
> If anyone was curious, Hyde's important business from before was to wander around shops in Christmas (hmm...what for I wonder :P) I went to a Christmas Market earlier this week...and froze my butt off -.- (I literally felt like Kuro and just wanted to go home the whole time LOL)
> 
> Anyway~ To lonercat and Astra199, I hope you liked how Frosty and Lichtan's celebration turned out~ (also it wasn't originally planned to be like that XD)
> 
> Thanks again and I hope to see you all next time (for the actual play)!!! Also, remember, be very careful about cakes you eat this season...if they are given by Johannes~! XD


	6. Annoucement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orz...took 3 tries to upload this, and author's note at bottom kills the pg... April Fools indeed..(no ending comments until its fixed sry)

Pitch black. Everything was covered by inky darkness as far as the eye could see (which wouldn't be much, considering 2 whole sentences were wasted describing how VERY DARK it was here....). The silence that permeated the space was oppressive.

That was the situation you found yourself in before you realized what was happening.

One moment, you were entering to fictional realm, ready to experience the next update of  _That Lazy Guy is a Mangaka?!_. The next instant, you are in an empty space with absolutely nothing.

Footsteps.

Without warning, you hear the echoing sound of footsteps of someone walking slowly (ominously) through a large room. You turn left and right, trying to determine where the sounds are coming from but the acoustics in this (assumed to be) large room were too bad.

"Hey. You there."

Spinning around on your heel, you face a green haired boy that  _definitely_  was not there a moment ago. Standing under a bright beam of light that also  _certainly_ was not in this place a second ago, was this familiar figure dressed in a white zippered jacket and dark pants that you could recognize anywhere.

Watanuki Sakuya.

"Yeah, that's me." Sakuya answered in a tired voice. "And I'm guessing you're one of those readers Aki was talking about."

You nod and stare at the green-head expectantly for some answers (or just stare starry-eyed at him, if you happen to be a huge Sakuya fan).

He sighed and muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'that stupid oddball duo, leaving me to do all the dirty work'. Of course, you could have misheard.

"As you can see, there's nothing here right now." The boy motioned to the dark space surrounding the both of you. "Even after being on hiatus and disappearing from this place for 3 months, Aki still got absolutely nothing done."

You stare blankly, temporarily unsure how to react.

"Though it is 99% her own fault, Aki has been pretty busy these last few months. Loads of assignments and work, all that annoying stuff. Doesn't help that she and Mahiru have been hanging around that lazy NEET way too much either. Probably got infected by the laziness."

For some unknown reason, a scene flashes before for eyes at that exact moment. There were two figured huddled on the sofa with their eyes glued to their phones. One was in a familiar light blue, fuzzy hoodie while the other was wearing an oversized dark grey hoodie. Beside them, empty cup noodle cartons and textbooks were scattered in all directions. From an open doorway, an angry looking brown-haired boy holding a broom and a dark-haired person in a long sleeved shirt entered.

"Kuro! Why aren't you cleaning up your room like I asked you to?!" Mahiru scolded with a hint of exasperation. "You too, Aki! If you have time, you should be studying or writing! You've kept your readers waiting long enough!"

"It's been 3 months since your last update! And what about all your other fics!!" The other newcomer added. "Do your work, you two lazy authors!!"

"....Can't deal..." The gamer duo said in unison.

"Actually, who are you again?" The one beside Kuro asked.

"I'm your beta!"

"Oh right."

"So stop playing around and finish the chapters so I can look at them!!"

"....But...but..." The sitting girl replied. "But I just got EMIYA ascended!!"

"What?!! Are you serious?!" The figure rushed forward and peered at her phone in hand.

"...Yeah...now she has a half-decent attacker for the next event."

Mahiru watched in stunned silence as the two people lazing around in the middle of the living room increased to three.

"Yeah, that's pretty much what happened." Sakuya's voice jolted you back into reality. The colorful scene you were watching before faded back into the dark space where you only had found the green-haired boy. "Aki was so afraid of dealing with angry readers she forgot about for so long that she forced me to come break the news instead. Something about not being immune to pitchforks and burning torches."

Well, that answers your question about why Sakuya was here anyway, albeit looking very unwilling to do his job.

"Not like I had a choice. If I didn't, I would have to deal with Aki and Tsubaki-san whining at me for hours. There is no way anyone can come out of that kind of thing with their sanity intact."

"Oh Sakuyaaaa~"

"....Speak of the devil."

"Sakuya~ Did you find the angry mob yet~?"

"...Tsubaki-san." Sakuya rubbed his temples at the incoming headache. "There's no angry mob...or pitchforks...or Molotov cocktails."

"Aww~ But Aki was already practicing how to run away from mobs~!!" The raven-haired man answered. Behind him, his trusty companions followed along with different expressions. "She was even trying to get Beru to lend his magic boxes so she could escape in a puff of smoke~! Imagine that, Sakuya! AHAHAHHHHAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHHAHHAAAHAHAAA....not interesting at all."

"..."  
"..."

You and Sakuya both stood there without a word as the black-haired man went on, but probably for very different reasons.

"So where is she now? If you were just with her..."

"In class, obviously." Tsubaki sighed as if it was the most tragic thing in the world. "It got too boring so we left to find you~"

"Wait...so this is all happening...while she is  _in class_..."

"Yeah!! And she wouldn't even let me skewer that guy!" Berukia complained. "All the problems would have been solved and we would get more screen time then!!"

"It's a wonder how the young master and Aki-san can stand someone as barbaric as you." Shamrock cut in with a displeased expression.

"...What I have to deal with every day of my life..." Sakuya sighed before turning to you once again. "You're probably one of those who enjoying watching me suffer from this bunch of misfits, right?"

You pause, not sure what is the best way to respond to that. Should you be honest, or should you say something else...? You weren't even sure if there was a possibility he could magically summon knives or a chainsaw here if things turned ugly.

Fortunately for you, you were saved by a distraction in the form of a tall man in a kimono barging in your conversation.

"Hey~ So you're one of those readers that Aki was running from~?" Tsubaki stared at you with amused interest. "What's your name~?"

You tell him. It's not like he could do anything with just your name, right? Still, it was good to note that he did not have a black covered notebook in his hands or anything like that.

"Heh~ I'm Tsubaki. Now tell me something interesting~!!"

....Something...interesting? With Tsubaki's standards, he might as well have been asking you to turn Misono into a 6-foot tall athlete with rock hard abs by next week!!

"..."

"Tsubaki-san, aren't you going to be late for......something?"

"Oh, that's right!" Tsubaki gasped in a melodramatic way. "There was a big debate on whose solo character song while you were here earlier. So Lawless, his little fallen angel-chan and I are going to have a dance-off ...AHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAHHAAAHAAHAHhh....not interesting at all. Let's go Beru, Sham~!"

Yup, you heard correctly. Using a dance-off competition to settle a singing dispute. Fanfic logic, am I right?

The three turned and walked back the way they came, which basically looked like a wall of black to you.

"There was something else I was asked to tell you..." Sakuya reached into the pocket of his jacket and rummaged about. "Ah, here it is."

You look curiously at the small piece of paper with hastily-scribbled markings in his hand.

".....Yeah. Basically, it says here that the next update will be coming out soon..." The green-haired boy spoke absently as he stared at the note. "And by soon, I mean whenever Aki finally gets her stuff done. So around the end of April, unless she wants an angry beta reader and Tsubaki-san after her."

You nod.

"It doesn't say what it would be about though..." Sakuya continued in a quiet mumble. "...I really hope it isn't the Christmas thing though..."

Suddenly, the entire room lit up in a bright, white light as if someone hit the switch. Temporarily blinded, you quickly shielded your eyes and waited until you adjusted to new level of brightness here.

Now that you can finally see, you realize that you really were in a giant room with nothing in it all along. The walls and floors were all white, and incidentally not even a lightbulb was in sight. Where did all this light come from?

"Fanfic logic." Sakuya answered, as if reading your mind. "But it signals that my job here is done. If you look behind you, a door should appear that would let you return to where you came from."

Turning around, you indeed see the door that the young man was talking about.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go hunt down Aki to destroy the recording of that crazy Christmas play and find Mahiru."

Walking in the opposite direction, Sakuya stopped a short distance away and pushed forward, revealing a section that was actually just wallpaper covering a door-sized hole in the wall.

"One more thing....Happy April Fools Day." Sakuya grinned cheekily. "Now,  _how much of what I said today was a lie_ ~?"


	7. The Christmas Chao - Part 2: The Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Christmas Play that Mahiru and his friends(?) prepared at practised for ages(?), finally on the big screen!!
> 
> Loosely based off of 'The Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens.  
> Written and Performed by: The Drama Club & Friends/Unpaid Help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even though it says May 1, 2017...it is technically still April 30 here in my timezone (...well 11:59pm LOL) so...I MADE IT???
> 
> Just a few useful things to note before you start reading to make it easier to read (MAYBE?)  
> 1\. Any sections in (brackets) are conversations or things that are happening backstage, everything else is live in the play [on stage].  
> 2\. I left the narrating to the characters too, since it's literally their play...hopefully it is clear who is doing it when [hint: there are 3 in total]  
> 3\. Hopefully it is also clear who is talking at each time???? (if it isn't, I can totally try to clear it up for you in the comments LOL)  
> 4\. The stage is magical, lol things just appear so quick it's as if it's actually happening in the setting (so no transitions or awkward stage hands needed XD)
> 
> Without further ado, ENJOY~! :D

Once upon a time, in a town like any other, during a Christmas seemingly like any other, a very special story began with wonderful narration that could move people to tears. The narrator of this fine story was certainly talented, blessed not only with dashing good looks and limitless potential, but also the most wonderful companion to spend the holidays with. Ah yes, there is nothing better than having a bountiful feast and throwing more money in the face of corporate greed on the eve of the most famous holiday of the year with the lovely Abel. ...Hey! Are you imagining something inappropriate with Abel right now?!! How d—

("Get on with it, Mikuni you bastard!!" A harsh hiss trailed out from the back.

"How impatient~! Dramatic introductions take time you know~!" The blond called back from afar. "In fact, I'm sure the audience is on the very edge of their seats right now listening to The Great Me!!"

"That was just a monologue all about you and your trivial plans!!!")

Anyway, inside this generic, fictional town, there lived a man that was not nearly as amazing or handsome as me. He was pretty plain character, except that he lacked something very important deep inside of him that is somehow relevant to the story. It was the motivation to expend effort and do something important with his life despite being born in an average town and family, unlike yours truly. But for the sake of this story, we'll just call that _Christmas Spirit_ instead. Yes, the pitiful man who lacked _Christmas Spirit_ was known by his peers as Kuro...not that he had any of those either...

Well, whatever. If you look forward, you will see the lazy Kuro in his natural habitat. And by that, I mean his office working long, boring hours like a typical commoner. It's sad really, but of course not everyone could be as blessed and charismatic as me, right? Unfortunately for all of you, this story is about that gloomy guy in a blue hoodie down there and not me, but please bear with it ok~?

Now inside the office, Kuro _should_ have been working hard, but really all he does is laze around and sleep. Why can he do that you ask? That is a great question! The reason is that he was lucky enough to draw the role of the protagonist earlier, and thus he is a co-founder of this company, called Sloth Publishing Co. There's probably a big backstory about this whole thing here, but exposition is just plain _boring_ so I'll just skip all that. Basically all you need to know is that he used to have a partner who founded the place with him, then died off-screen. That person is so unimportant that he doesn't even have a name, so let's just call him Sensei or something.

"Kuro!!" A shout accompanied three hard knocks on the wooden door. "Are you awake in there?!"

"...No."

"So you are awake...just not working as usual..." A young man with short, brown hair stepped into the office with a stack of papers. "The deadline is in two days! Now is not the time to rest!!"

This other generic-looking character is Kuro's only employee, Shirota Mahiru. He's hardworking and nice to everyone, but naive and acts too much like a housewife sometimes. You know, the type that thinks hard work and friendship can solve everything...what is this, _Fairy Tail_?? Though I will grudgingly admit, that protagonist there has a _pretty classy voice_. ...Well regardless, since Shirota Mahiru is working for Kuro of all people, he probably won't get anywhere in life.

"....I wasn't sleeping....it's just the monologue was such a pain to hear, I lost all motivation to work..."

"Don't be rude, Kuro!" Mahiru chided. "I'm sure Mikuni-san is trying his best, even if it is pretty annoying!"

Ahahaha!!! Such ignorant children they are, with such unrefined tastes that they cannot identify a wonderful piece of narration when they hear one!

"A-anyway, Kuro, you're the one in charge here so please do your work already!!!"

"....Mahiru...."

"What is it, Kuro?"

"...I'm the boss...right? So...everyone needs to listen to what I say....?"

"To put it simply...yeah."

"......I say let's fire this narrator. Can't deal..."

"W-Wa- KURO!! You can't just fire him in the middle of the play?!!"

Your unassuming employee is right, you know!! Even though you are _technically_ the boss, you still don't nearly have enough presence as this Great Narrator!!  I am omniscient and I have the entire story literally in the palm of my hands right now!! I don't even need to be seen to have the audience charmed by my overwhelming charisma!!

So, no. YOU aren't going to fire me, because you are literally standing below me right now! Instead, you should be the one to be banished from this theatrical world! Exit stage left for you!!

("WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, MIKUNI?!! HE'S **THE PROTAGONIST**!!!"

"So what? He committed a terrible offense against your wonderful big brother. You aren't going to let this slide, are you~?"

"JUST FOLLOW THE SCRIPT!!!"

"How mean, Misono~!" An airy chuckle came from the direction of the blond. "I still remember the time not too long ago when you would follow after me like an adorable little ducking and—"

"SHUT UP, MIKUNI YO—"

A harsh sound of feedback and what was unmistakably a mic dropping onto the ground carried across the large space.)

"What happened?!" A concerned Mahiru asked. "Are they okay up there?!"

"...I was hoping they would cause a bigger commotion..." Kuro said in his usual tone. "So I can take a well-deserved nap while everyone listens to their drama..."

"What do you mean _well-deserved_?! You didn't even do anything yet!!"

"Just the existence of a main character is exhausting..." Kuro sighed. "How do you do it every single day? ....In more than one story too..."

"Kuro!!! You're not supposed to talk about that!!"

(Before the conversation could get any more dangerous, another mysterious voice came from above. To everyone's surprise, it was a feminine voice with far less narcissism and theatrics than the last.

"Sorry about the technical difficulties~!" The girly voice announced. "Our previous narrator is currently being chased around by an angry shorty and three paper bags, so the Yellow Ranger will be taking over now~! So where were we...”)

Ah right, so continuing on with the story~

Since it was the day before Christmas, the entire town was filled with lots of colorful decorations and very merry people! Imagine a street where everyone you meet is laughing or singing holiday songs as you pass by them, and everywhere you look there were piles and piles of tinsel or snowmen staring happily at you!!

"....Is this supposed to be a horror story?" Kuro answered in monotone.

Kuro, of course, does not share the same feelings as everyone else outside. That's because he sadly lacks _Christmas Spirit_. He would much rather stay indoors all day with his employee and work.

"...Of course I'm not going out there... It sounds terrifying..." Kuro pointed out. "And it's cold..."

"If you are going to stay inside anyways, then at least **do your work**!!"

".......Nah, it's in-character for me to be sleeping in this important-looking chair....like a boss..."

"Don't change your character to fit your own needs!!!!"

The grumpy....and lazy Kuro was not a fan of this holiday season, and wouldn't let his only employee take an early break for the holidays either.

"No...You can take a break...Actually why don't we both go home and take a long vacation now...?" Kuro looked up at Mahiru expectantly. "Let's close the office and do that now..."

"NO WAY!! Did you forget the deadline coming up?!!" Mahiru retorted loudly. "If we don't do it now, we'll never make it in time!!!"

After the short exchange, Mahiru returned to his seat and continued to work. He knew very well that Kuro was a difficult boss, and probably not very good for his blood pressure now that I think about it, but he really did like his job. Even though it would have been nice to be able to freely join the festivities outside today!

Luckily for him, there was someone else on the way to their office filled with plenty of _Christmas Spirit_ coming to his aid~! And just as I said that, give a warm welcome to—

**BAAAAMMMM!!!**

"I have come to find you, Mr. Cat."

"Hold on!! You were supposed to knock on the door after the narration finished, not _kick it halfway across the room_?!!"

"Silence, shit rat. It was foolish to think it could repel my archangel aura as I continue my journey across the path of fluffy clouds."

"It's a _door_! It's supposed to stop you from coming in uninvited!!"

The two snow-covered young men that just entered were Kuro's brother, Hyde and his companion Licht. They lived on the other side of town in a cozy little house. Every once in a while, the two of them would come visit Kuro to try to get him to have some fun.

"...So basically, they're a pain to deal with..."

"KURO!! Don't be rude!!" Turning to face the newcomers, Mahiru smiled apologetically. "Sorry about that, Licht-san, Hyde. Did you two need something?"

"Yeah, we—"  
"I have come for Mr. Cat."

"Huh? Kuro...?" Spinning back to look at the man now sprawled over his large desk, Mahiru gave him a skeptical look. "What did you do _this time_?"

Kuro peeked up with the most appalled expression he could muster. Which wasn't much considering how little effort he put into it, really~!

"How could you accuse an innocent cat like me of something so terrible...?" Unable to keep up the expression, he quickly reverted back to his tired face. "Plus, I'd rather take a nap than do something to Hyde and his denpa-angel..."

"That's true..."

"We're here for a very important reason today!" Hyde interrupted suddenly. "We came to invite Big Brother to our amazing Christmas party to spread some _Christmas Spirit_!!"

"Sounds like a wonderful idea, Hy—"  
"...Don't want to."

Everyone turned to look at the young man in the blue hoodie, stunned.

"....I already have plans for the day..." Kuro shrugged.

"You told me you were going to just stay in your house after work..."

"Exactly... I plan to spend my day defending the world from alien machine lifeforms to celebrate Christmas..."

"....That sounds amazing actually."

"Oh hey! I bought that game too!! Did you try some mackerel yet? It's great, hahaha!" Hyde interjected.

"Wait....GAME?!! Then those aren't holiday plans at all, Kuro!!!" Mahiru retorted angrily.

"Yes, they are...I'm sure at least half the audience agrees with me..."

Once again, the bespectacled blond jumped between the two bickering workers with an exaggerated pout.

"Come on, Big Brother! Don't be such a party pooper!!" Hyde complained. "If you don't show up, Angel-chan will be really upset with me!!!"

"No way... My head is still sore from his last petting attempt..."

Fortunately for the two, the aforementioned raven-haired boy was currently preoccupied with watching children outside making snow angels on the ground. Thus, their heads were safe for another day.

"Pleaseeeee~!!! Big Brotherrrrrr~!"  
"No way."

The back-and-forth continued for a long time, until Mahiru finally stepped in.

"I'll convince him to go to your party, Hyde." The ever-optimistic boy smiled. "You two should have lots of preparation to do for tonight, right? Simply put, you should get to it soon so that you can make it in time!"

"Your housewife powers sure are handy, Mahiru!" The blond grinned back cheekily. "Thanks a bunch! I'll be sure to reserve some extra dessert for you guys!"

As suddenly as they came, Hyde and Licht left the office in a way that reminded the two workers of a hurricane. Just before they disappeared completely from view, the bespectacled blond turned back briefly and yelled loudly.

"Oh yeah, Big Brother! We're gonna have a fundraiser for the protection of hedgehogs against holiday violence so remember to bring some money!!!"

"...Is that seriously what we decided on in the end?" Kuro deadpanned...in his own unmotivated way.

"Well....Licht-san wouldn't accept anything without small animals in it during the planning stage...so...."

"...But he's the main source of violence himself...so what's the point...?"

Just think of it as pooling money for the food or something, Kuro! We always have an after-party for the whole cast once we finish this play anyways~!

Kuro sighed. "...Gah...uhh…some kind of bug....?"

"What are you talking about???" Mahiru looked at Kuro curiously.

"My line..." Kuro replied. "Ah...a ladybug..."

"...Your...line?" Mahiru whispered loudly. "Kuro! It's _'Bah, Humbug!'_ , not ladybug!!!"

"No...there is a ladybug here...look..." The young man in the blue hoodie pointed towards the corner of his desk.

"KURO!!!"

* * *

After wasting another couple of hours trying to avoid work, Kuro and Mahiru closed up the office for the day.

"Don't forget about the Christmas Party later tonight, Kuro! I'll be coming over at 10 to pick you up!" Mahiru called out as he walked away.

The lazy businessman grumbled something that no one could hear and headed back to his small home. It was a cozy little place with a rustic atmosphere, perfect for an unsociable shut-in like him~! There was a blazing fireplace in the middle of a room filled with ornate wooden furniture, hand-made by our club's amazing props team! Despite the fact that it would realistically be a massive fire hazard in reality, it sure turned out looking amazing~!!

Kuro carelessly dropped his bag onto the couch the moment he entered.

"...I have a few hours until Mahiru comes back..." Kuro muttered. "...I need an escape plan.....but that's exhausting...I'll take a nap first..."

He walked over to the closet and sat down inside.

"...I should be safe in here......ZZZzzzzz..."

Within moments, he was asleep.

* * *

 _PING._ A notification on the screen of his phone startled Kuro into awareness.

"It's too early for this...Hyde..."

Without even opening his eyes, Kuro muted his phone and went back to sleep.

_Bzzttt...Bzzzttt...Bzzttt...._

"...Who's calling this time....Don't they know it's cruel to deny people their naptime...?"

Pulling out his phone, the caller ID showed the last thing he expect to appear.

_'Sensei' is calling..._

_Click._

".....Hello...?"

"Kuro? It's me."

"....Is this supposed to be a scam?"

"Of course not! It's really me!! Don't you recognize my voice, Kuro?" The caller responded. "I've been trying to find you for a while now but you aren't in any of the rooms and you didn't answer my texts either!"

"...but Sensei is dead..." Kuro mumbled to himself.

"Exactly! How do you think I got into your house to look for you?!"

"...You're in my house....right now...?"

"Yeah, I'm floating through every room but you aren't around!"

"....Can't deal...Mahiru..."

"Ah! There you are, Kuro." A very familiar face appeared through the closed door with a small smile. "I have something to tell you!"

"...Whatever lingering regrets you have...it wasn't my fault..."

"No, nothing like that...I have my youngest _son_ for that...But that's the plot of another universe entirely..." The ghost of Sensei answered. At this point, Kuro was convinced that he was not awake yet and so he just went along with whatever crazy hallucinations his mind was creating for him. "Tonight you will be visited by three ghosts, to teach you about the meaning of _Christmas Spirit_."

"... _Christmas Spirit_...isn't that all about doing good things for others and giving...?" Kuro said. "...See...I know it very well...so I would appreciate if you guys would **give** me my uninterrupted sleep time tonight and not visit..."

"You are planning to skip the Christmas Party later, right? That's not very Christmas-y..."

"...Did Mahiru put you up to this?"

"Anyway, be prepared for the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future to pay you a visit later this evening." Sensei announced with a friendly smile as he slowly became transparent. "I'll also tell them about your hiding spots and phone number so you can't escape. It was nice seeing you again, Kuro!"

"...I don't feel the same way....I'll report you for invasion of privacy..." Kuro shot back in monotone, but Sensei was already long gone. ".....This is too much...I need a nap..."

Curling up in his fluffy bed, Kuro proceeded to escape from his problems to the realm of unconsciousness.

* * *

 

"Ro...Kuro....Kuro..!"

The lazy young man woke up abruptly to the sound of someone softly calling him near his ear.

"—!!!"

"Ah, you're finally awake." The voice spoke. "I was getting worried."

"......Who are you and why are you disturbing my nap...?"

Kuro looked up to see a tall fellow with blond hair in a very...revealing shirt.

"Oh my...weren't you told about my visit by a messenger earlier? I am the Ghost of Christmas Past, Snow Lily." The figure answered with a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you, Kuro!"

"...Yeah...do you mind letting me go back to sleep now? It's late..."

"Sorry, but Christmas Miracles aren't refundable." Lily replied. "I've come to help you rekindle your lost _Christmas Spirit_. So come on! Follow me~!"

Right on cue, Kuro noticed his surroundings begin to blur around him.

"....What's going on now....?"

"We're going on a little journey to the past!"

The world seemed to blur around Kuro so quickly that he could practically feel himself being spun around at high speeds. In fact, he was being spun thanks to our club's newly acquired rotating platform but of course he shouldn't know that in-story. Shout-out to the generous donors who made all this possible, and we hope you can continue to help us get better and better props for the future~!

("Yosetsu-chan, please don't do club advertising in the middle of the play..." A calm voice called out from above the stage in a slightly exasperated manner.

"Sorry Krantz-san~!" The girl responded in a tone that was far too cheerful to be sincere. "But the new snow machine we've been eyeing won't buy itself~!"

A tired sigh was the only response she received.)

Back to the original story, Kuro and Lily finally arrived on solid, non-spinning ground. Instead of the warm bedroom he was expecting, the lazy businessman found himself in the middle of a large clearing covered in snow. There were tall evergreen trees lining the edges of the field and the roof of a large mansion could be seen peeking out from afar.

"...Why are we outside in this weather...? If anything, I am a lovable indoor cat, not an outdoor cat...."

"To remind you of the _Christmas Spirit_ you once possessed, I've brought you back to the past Christmases to show you how cheerful and merry they used to be." Lily replied.

"That sounded really scripted just now..."

"No need to worry about that. Ah, look over there, Kuro!"

Kuro sighed tiredly, but did as told hoping that he would be allowed to go home faster that way.

A chorus of laughter rang out from behind them. Turning around, the duo watched as five figures emerged from the forest. Completely oblivious of Kuro and his ghostly companion standing right there in the middle of the clearing, they rushed past and began to play in the snow. A blond cowboy laughed loudly as he dashed around the clearing after dumping a handful of snow down another's back. The aforementioned victim chased him down with a snowball launcher, a murderous glare visible from beneath the paper bags covering his head. Not too far away, the remaining trio of the group were either cheering enthusiastically at the fight unfolding (if you happened to be a red-headed girl) or doing a very poor job of acting uninterested (if you were a tsundere purple-head instead).

"Hmph. A snowball fight? How childish." The purple-haired boy scoffed and turned to face the side. No one missed the way his gaze remained fixed on the two young men engaged in a snowball war, however.

"Ahahahaha~! Don't be so stiff, little bro!" Came the reply. "You should learn to appreciate the more dynamic parts of life. Here, have a snowball, Misono!"

Misono was promptly met with a snowball to the head. Unfortunately for the round ball of winter weather, it quickly met its end on top of the purple-haired boy that was practically steaming from the head.

"MIKUNI!!!!" Misono crouched down to gather snow in the palm of his mittens. "YOU BASTA—"

Before he could launch the ball of chilly revenge back, he tripped and landed face-first on the fluffy floor mid-swing.

"Misono!" Three voices rang out in the clearing as everyone stopped what they were doing and went up to the fallen shorty.

"...Urgh..." Relieved that the boy was fine, everything returned to normal. And by that, I mean Mikuni proceeded to laugh obnoxiously as always while being chased down once again~!

"How mean, Tinker-chan~!" The blond whined, a grin never leaving his face as he dodged snowballs like a pro.

Sorry, Mikuni-san~! Narrators need to call it as it is, you know~!

On the other hand, the red-haired twins pulled Misono from the ground and began to build a figure in the snow with him.

"Misono, hurry, hurry!"  
"Come build a snow lily!"

For the rest of the afternoon, the five frolicked in the snow, filling the clearing with fun and laughter as Kuro and the Ghost of Christmas Past watching them from the side quietly.

"There was so much _Christmas Spirit_ and fun in the past..." Lily spoke while staring fondly at the crazy antics in front of him. "...Where did it all go? Why do you refuse to embrace the holiday cheer, Kuro?"

"...I have no idea what you are talking about..." Kuro stared blankly at the tall blond ghost beside him. "This isn't even **my** Christmas past."

"Of course not! It's _mine_!" Lily responded with an overdramatic cry. "Your past Christmases were just too tragic to show!! Forced to spend the holidays alone in your cold, lonely home each year, accompanied only by a phone and HD television."

"....And a Blu-ray player, unlimited Wi-Fi connection, a closet full of console games, Netflix, a whole lot of chill, a year's supply of instant ramen, Mahiru on speed dial, a Nintendo Swi--"

"How terrible!!" Lily gasped. "So you understand why I need to rekindle your _Christmas Spirit_ and let you enjoy the wonders of this holiday!!"

"...I have no idea what you are talking about..." Kuro groaned. "I am totally satisfied with my current life..."

Before Lily could respond, a shrill alarm sound rang out from somewhere between the two.

"...Whaa...?"

"Sorry, Kuro. The alarm means that our time is up for now." Lily smiled at him. "It was nice meeting you tonight and I hope you will have a lovely evening filled with _Christmas Spirit_."

"....Does that mean you are going to take me home now?"

"Yes, you're going home now..." Lily sighed.

Another dizzying round of time travel later, Kuro was relieved to find himself sitting on top of his fluffy bed once again. Lily was nowhere to be found, but a small note was left on Kuro's bedside table.

 _'Good luck with your remaining visits, Kuro. And remember, Embrace the_ Christmas Spirit _!'_

Throwing the note aside carelessly, Kuro crawled into his cavern of blankets and went back to sleep.

* * *

"Kuro!! Wake up already!!" A shout and a harsh tug at his blankets roused him from his sleep for the third time that evening. "I've called you five times already!!"

".....Ughh........Mahiru...?" Kuro glanced at his phone. "It's too early for this...actually I don't wanna go to the party at all..."

"It's not about that Kuro, not right now at least." Mahiru answered. "I came because— Don't go back to sleep!!"

"...But you said it wasn't time yet...so that means I can keep sleeping..."

"No way, Kuro! We have a busy schedule today with a lot of places to visit in search for your _Christmas Spirit_!!"

"...Huh..?" Kuro opened one eye in confusion to look at the brown-haired boy staring down at him.

"Did you forget? You were supposed to be visited by three ghosts tonight to find your _Christmas Spirit_!!" Mahiru answered as he began to neatly fold the blankets at the end of the bed. "We don't have much time so I need you to get up NOW!!"

"....You...you're a Christmas ghost...?" Kuro reached out and grasped Mahiru's arm as he hurried around the bedroom. "....But...you're real...."

"Of course I'm not a real ghost, Kuro! How could I be cleaning up your messy room right now if I was a ghost?" The brown-haired boy chuckled lightly. "I bumped into the real Ghost of Christmas Present when I was shopping with Ryuusei and Koyuki earlier. He was on the way here when something came up at his family hot springs that required him to go back and help. So thinking simply, I offered to help with out with his part-time job and visit you instead!"

"....A ghost-owned hot spring...? Would anyone go to that...?" Kuro stared blankly. "...Rather, you took a part-time job as a ghost, Mahiru...?"

"It's _Christmas_ , Kuro." Mahiru responded as if that was an obvious answer. "It's the time of giving and helping others. I simply couldn't ignore someone who needed help! Plus, it would cause a lot of continuity problems in the story if someone who wasn't supposed to show up yet suddenly appeared here."

"...That's true...the pitchforks and flames would come back again..."

"Anyway, come on Kuro!" With a strong pull, Mahiru dragged the lazy businessman to his feet.

"...Do we have to spin around on the rotating floor again?"

"...I don't think so? But you should take this at least." The brown-haired boy handed Kuro a small piece of paper.

"...What's this for...?"

"According to the ghost, it's supposed to give you ghost-like abilities during our visits so we don't scare anyone by randomly appearing in their house." Mahiru answered. "Also, a message would magically appear at the end of the visit on the paper for you to keep."

Kuro glanced briefly at the note he received earlier and shrugged. "...I'm pretty sure this plot point would never be brought up ever again.....So what now?"

"Since you don't want to ride the spinning floor, I guess we'll simply have to use the door."

With that, Kuro and Mahiru (in ghostly form) left the house and began to walk down the street, sadly depriving the tech team the fun of pressing the button for the rotating platform. If you listen closely, you can probably hear their cries of disappointment from above too~!

* * *

The two young men arrived in front of a large shopping mall filled with people dashing around singing (read: yelling at the top of their lungs) Christmas carols and last minute shoppers. The building was covered with holiday decorations, from shiny tinsel to little bunches of mistletoe that people kept pushing their friends towards with joking laughter. Overall, it was a very happy place filled with _Christmas Spirit_.

"...Do we _have_ to go in there...?" Kuro whined under his breath. "...There's too much...human interaction...."

"It's all part of the Christmas celebrations, Kuro!" Grabbing the reluctant businessman by the arm, Mahiru pulled them both through the door and into the commercial centre.

The moment the duo entered, they were bombarded with a variety of sights, smells and sounds. If they thought that there were a lot of decorations when they peeked in from the outside, it was as if a few truckloads of holiday decorations exploded throughout the mall's interior. The smell of freshly made food and cheap plastic toys permeated the building, while the Christmas music broadcasted was almost silent in comparison to the sound of off-tune singing by the customers there.

Kuro stared at the crazy scene before him with tired eyes and a long sigh. He would much rather be curled up on his bed right now with blissful quietness and maybe even a Christmas turkey-flavored cup noodle.

"Kuro, you aren't enjoying the holiday cheer!" Mahiru frowned lightly. "You should get out more...and have some healthier food too..."

"..."

"Instant noodles are not healthy, no matter what flavor they say they are!" The brown-haired boy interjected. "If you wanted Christmas turkey, you should just get a real one...like those over there!"

Mahiru pointed towards a store a little to their right, where two familiar-looking figures could be seen, both with a large turkey drumstick in hand.

"Hey, it's Ryuusei and Koyuki! They sure look like they're having fun!!" Mahiru said with a bright smile. "Kuro, you should follow their example and enjoy yourself too!"

Oblivious to their ghost-like audience, Ryuusei and Koyuki happily explored the indoor Christmas market. They explored every stall lined up on either side of their path, coming out with bags of festive foods, gifts and trinkets. Laughing along with passing carolers and fundraising volunteers, the two appeared to be bursting with _Christmas Spirit_.

"Even though they are minor characters here, they still make the most of their screentime and celebrate the holiday!! What does that make you, a protagonist that has accomplished nothing?!!" Mahiru announced dramatically, before taking a long pause. "..................................Who wrote this part?!! My friends aren't minor characters!!!"

".....Who knows..." Kuro shrugged. Suddenly, the young man in the blue hoodie turned on his heel and walked quickly towards a random store in the distance.

"Eh? Kuro, are you finally feeling up to some Christmas celebrating?" Mahiru followed along quickly, and found Kuro staring intensely at a display window. "Did you find something good?"

"Yeah...really good..." Kuro tugged lightly at the brown-haired boy's sleeve. "....Mahiru, can I get that...?"

Lying innocently inside the glass in front of him was...a copy of _The Legend of Waldo: Exhale of the Wild_ with its titular character in a striped green shirt standing on a very big rock.

"...Kuro...Isn't this....JUST ANOTHER VIDEO GAME?!!" Mahiru yelled. "What happened to awakening your _Christmas Spirit_?!!"

"...If you get me this new game...I might just feel more holiday cheer deep inside..."

"Not a chance, Kuro! Now come on, we have another place to visit before time is up!" Once again, Mahiru pulled a tired, unwilling Kuro down the streets of the city.

* * *

"....Isn't this...." Kuro looked up at the brick house in front of him. It was a cozy looking place with smoke puffing out of its chimney and windows decorated with small winged figures. It practically radiated warmth and _Christmas Spirit_ from its core.

"Yep, it's Hyde and Licht-san's place!! We're here to watch them as they set up for the party and celebrate the holidays!!"

"...Do we have to...?"

Peering inside the house, the two could see Hyde and Licht busy decorating their house for the upcoming gathering. To be precise, Hyde was bustling around unpacking boxes of ornaments and putting them up everywhere while Licht was preoccupied with picking out a fitting Santa hat for their pet hedgehog.

"Lichtannn~ Come help me with the Christmas tree~!!" The blond whined as he stood on the ladder with an armful of piano-patterned tinsel. "We only have a few hours left before the guests arrive!!"

"Silence. Can't you see I'm doing something really important?" Came the sharp reply. "An angel-mouse such as this must have the perfect hat on when in the presence of others."

"But those three hats are **exactly the same**!!!"

"A lesser rat like you cannot comprehend the uniqueness of each of these accessories and their effects on its great aura."

"They're all just Santa hats!!"

Outside, Mahiru and Kuro stood by the window under the snowy sky.

"Can't you feel the warmth and _Christmas Spirit_ in there, Kuro?" Mahiru turned to the young man beside him with a grin.

"...I can sense the warmth of their heating system anyway...Actually can we continue this inside? It's really cold out here..."

"We can't just go inside without permission! That would be breaking and entering!!"

"...Tell that to those other ghosts that came to bother me earlier..." Kuro sighed. "...I _definitely_ never gave them permission to come in...Or a key to my house..."

Back inside, Hyde was now in the kitchen surrounded by various ingredients and utensils. Even now, he had plenty of preparations to do and Licht....still preferred the company of the tiny hedgehog (animal) over him.

"Even though he was the one that wanted to host the party the most, I'm the one stuck with all the prep work, huh..." Sighing to himself, the bespectacled blond continued to mix the batter for melon-flavoured angel cake. "I wonder if bribing Angel-chan with more time to pet Big Brother would convince him to join me here..."

"Oi, shit rat."

"?!!" Hyde looked up, surprised. "It worked somehow...?!"

"Where's the melon bread? Little Lawless is getting hungry and needs angel food."

"...Aww c'mon! You'd call _him_ by name but not me~?!" Hyde whined pitifully. "Lichtannn~ Lichtaaaaaan...."

"Stop dawdling with the preparations, demon rat! Mr. Cat is going to be coming soon." The raven-haired boy shot back as he picked up a package of melon bread and walked back towards the living room.

"Eh....about that....knowing Big Brother..."

" _What was that_?" Came the menacing question. Licht peeked through the doorway to the kitchen with a deadly glare.

"NOTHING!! Nothing at all!!" Hyde replied, before continuing quietly with a frown. "Just...you know...being treated like a slave for the Christmas party..."

The self-proclaimed angel did not falter in his piercing glare, but walked back into the kitchen and picked up a knife before walking towards the bespectacled blond.

"Crap, did he hear me?!!!" Hyde panicked. "Uhh...L-Lichtan...? ...What are you doing with that knife...?"

The dark-haired boy raised the sharp utensil in the air, and swung downwards to cleanly slice the innocent...melon sitting on the table in front of the pair.

"What do you think, stupid rat? Of course I won't let you infect the angel cake with your demonic aura."

"...Does that translate to ' _Please allow me to help you, oh poor little overworked Hyde-chan~_ '?"

"..."

"...L-Lichtan? A-are you trying to cut more melons...? But there's nothing over here....?!!"

"DIE UNTIL YOU DIE, YOU SHIT RAT!!!"

"....So this is _Christmas Spirit_ , huh..." Kuro commented with an unmotivated tone. "All I see is domestic violence and Hyde-centred cruelty..."

"W-well...at least they're enjoying themselves...?" Mahiru mentally grasped for a good reply. "I mean...it IS Licht-san and Hyde, after all."

"...I guess...To them, this is probably considered getting along very well..."

"Y-yeah! That's probably it, Kuro!" Mahiru answered. "But this...happy...scene might not last much longer..."

"...What do you mean?"

"Next year, there might just be an empty spot at the table if things keep going like this..." The brown-haired boy noted as he stared pointedly at the laughing blond desperately dodging a series of deadly kicks. "If Licht-san finds out that Hyde failed to convince you to show up to their Christmas party...then we might end up with one less person in our group from then on..."

Before Kuro could form a proper response, a very familiar ringing of an alarm broke the moment between the two standing outside.

"Oh! It's time to head back, Kuro!" Mahiru said as he began walking back in the direction of the other's house. "Come on!"

"..."

* * *

Mahiru and Kuro walked through the snowy streets of the city side by side until the lazy businessman's house was in sight.

"...Finally back home..." Kuro looked towards his comfortable home in relief.

"We would have gotten back faster if you didn't stop to complain repeatedly about getting muscle sores tomorrow!!" Mahiru shot back, annoyed.

"...But it's true..."

Before either of them could open the door, a voice from behind called out to them.

"Mahiru!!"

...Or one of them anyway.

Spinning around on his heels, the brown-haired boy noticed a young man with untamed green hair running towards him.

"Sakuya?! What are you doing here?"

"I'm supposed to haunt someone right about now..." The green-haired boy answered with a casual shrug. "But more importantly, why are you here Mahiru? I thought you were shopping with Ryuusei and Koyuki?"

"I was, but then I bumped into someone who needed my help."

"...You mean this guy?" Sakuya motioned at the blank-faced boy in the blue hoodie standing awkwardly at the side.

"...Erm...no...Well, he _does_ need help too, but I didn't mean him..." Mahiru answered. "Wait! If you need to haunt someone, does that mean you're the last Christmas ghost?!"

"...Uhh...yeah...Why?"

"In that case, here you go!" Mahiru grinned as he pushed the boy in the blue hoodie forward. "Kuro is all yours! Please take care of him for me, Sakuya!!"

"..."  
"..."

The two young men with light blue and green hair respectively glanced at each other, then back at Mahiru.

"I should go check up on Licht-san and Hyde now to make sure they didn't destroy their house yet. I'll see you on New Year’s, Sakuya!" Mahiru called out as he began walking in the other direction. "And Kuro! Make sure you listen carefully to Sakuya on this last visit to regain your _Christmas Spirit_! I'll be coming back to pick you up later for the party!!"

And with that, the brown-haired boy was gone.

"..."  
"..."

"...So...you're that future ghost guy?" Kuro started awkwardly.

"..." Sakuya rubbed his temples, feeling an oncoming headache. "Yeah...Let's just get this over with..."

Right on time, the floor around them began to spin wildly, much to Kuro's displeasure.

"Ugh....not this again..."

* * *

As the spinning and nausea began to slowly disappear, the very unmotivated pair found themselves in the middle of a spooky-looking forest at night. The sky was a cloudy gray and the trees surrounding the two were bare of any leaves or signs of life. 

"...Where are we...?"

Sakuya walked forward into the ominous forest, but said nothing. To be honest, I think he was too busy sulking to answer~!

("Ahahahahaahahaa.....not interesting at all..." A voice emanated from somewhere backstage. "Still, I like the way you think, honorary yellow ranger~!"

"Why thank you, amazing red ranger~!"

A series of laughter could be heard throughout the auditorium.)

"...I don't get paid enough for this..." Sakuya muttered under his breath. "...Actually I'm not getting paid at all..."

Finally, Kuro and Sakuya arrived at a large clearing. There was pretty much nothing there except what looked like two very large rocks sticking out of the ground at the other end of the field.

"....What're those...?" Kuro wondered aloud as he walked over there. Seeing them up close, the lazy businessman noticed that they were not your usual giant rocks, but actually tombstones sticking up above two dark mounds of dirt. Peering even closer, he could see a pair of **very** familiar names on the two slabs of stone.

_KURO (???-2017) IF ONLY HE HAD SOME CHRISTMAS SPIRIT_

_HYDE (???-2017) AS EXPECTED, THE DENPA-ANGEL WAS THE DEATH OF HIM_

"..." Kuro stared at the two stones, stunned. "...How did this happen....?"

"...You know what they say about curiosity and the cat..." Sakuya shrugged. "Do you really want to know?"

"....No…not really..."

"Too bad, the script calls for us to now go back in time and find out what happened." The moment Sakuya finished his line, the floor once again began rotating quickly as their surroundings began to blur.

".....Ugh......"

* * *

"Here we are." Sakuya announced in a bored tone.

"...We're back...?" Kuro asked.

"...Specifically 5 hours after we left...so...around 12am or so?"

"....So you're telling me that I only have 5 hours to live..." Kuro started slowly. "...I knew I should have stayed in bed today..."

"You did." Sakuya responded, as if that was the most obvious thing in the world. "After all the visits, you still refused to go to that Christmas Party Mahiru asked you to. So you spent the rest of your evening curled up at home like a loner NEET."

"...I have a job though..."

Sakuya ignored the remark and continued. "While you continued to live your life lazily, eating junk food, ruining your eyesight playing console games and refusing to exercise, your unhealthy lifestyle finally caught up to you on this tragic night."

"...So I got a bad end from unhealthy lifestyle...?" Kuro commented. "That's not right...I live _very_ well... I get plenty of exercise and eat a variety of food...."

"Button mashing on console does not count as exercising, and 'a variety' of instant ramen flavors does not count either..." Sakuya retorted. "I know, Mahiru told me all about you and your lifestyle."

"..."

"Plus, that isn't even the full story." The green-haired boy continued. "Unfortunately for you, you encountered a fate much worse than obesity and diabetes...."

With a sinister grin, Sakuya pulled out a microphone out of nowhere and stood in the middle of a spotlight that definitely was not there a second ago.

"....I feel that this has happened before..." Kuro muttered quietly.

"It's probably your imagination." Sakuya said. "Now, as the Ghost of Christmas Future, allow me to narrate the pitiful story of your tragic end!"

The lights switched off, leaving everyone in a room of inky darkness.

* * *

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3...Is this thing on?

It's working? Good...

Could you get the lights Tinker? ...Thanks.

Ladies and gentlemen, you should pay careful attention. Lately in this small, unnamed town, there have been rumors of terrible things that happen to those without _Christmas Spirit_. Sounds crazy, you say? But I'm not joking.

Here is a fine example of a pitiful man who met his premature end because he did not heed to warnings of those around him.

This is Kuro, sleeping without a care in the world. He has no idea what horrors he will soon face because he refused to embrace the _Christmas Spirit_ during Christmas.

Rather than going to a Christmas Party and celebrating with his friends and family, he chose the loner life and stayed at home without talking to anyone.

Because of that...he had no one to turn to, no one to hear his cries for help when the heavens decided to exact punishment for his lack of _Christmas Spirit_.

A messenger from the sky descended into his home, causing destruction in his wake. Nothing was spared, and in the morning, his neighbors could only find what was left of him in a pile of snow-covered rubble.

So...I must now ask...

_Just how much of that was a lie~?_

* * *

"...What." Kuro deadpanned lazily, as he sat up from his bed. "...That's ridiculous."

Are you so sure about that~?

"...Of course that's a lie..."

I see you're doubting me...

Well, let's just fast-forward time a little bit...

.

.

.

...And play. Enjoy reliving your bad end, Kuro! I'll be sure to give a fitting play-by-play commentary as a _special service_.

"...Are you secretly evil or something? This seems almost out of character for you..."

It's the _Christmas Spirit_.

"..."

While this lazy guy sat there ignorant and unprepared, he heard three knocks on his door.

"....Who is it now...?"

There was nothing but an eerie silence on the other side, a typical cliché of a horror movie. But of course, our protagonist here has no choice but to answer it.

The door creaked open slowly because Kuro was just that lazy. Bit by bit, the widening entrance revealed three tall silhouettes on his doorstep.

"Why...Hello there, Big Brother~!! Remember **me** ~?" A voice called out in an annoying, sing-songy tone. It sent chills down everyone's spine and headaches in their head.

"...Hyde?"

"AHahahahhahahaaaa....Of course not....." The voice called out. "How terribly sad....I should just kill everyone now in the name of _Christmas Spirit_....AHAHAHAHHAHAHAhahahahaaaa.....not interesting at all."

"Let's do it, Tsubakyun!" The second dark figure agreed cheerily, like a simpleton. Behind him, something sharp-looking glinted in the moonlight. "If that if what you wish, young master." The third figure answered, like a butler wannabe.

"WHAT'D YOU SAY, PUNK?!!"  
"You impertinent liar, I ought to—"

"Now, now...Calm down Berukia, Shamrock." Tsubky—....Okay, I am **not** calling him that. ..Ahem... _Tsubaki-san_ interrupted. "Let's help my poor Big Brother have a **blast** this Christmas~!!"

The three descended upon the helpless Kuro as the door slowly shut. Random screams, crashes and bouts of insane laughter could be heard from inside across the neighborhood. Of course, in another typical horror story cliché, there cannot be any random witnesses or helpers within hearing distance.

**BAAAAAAMMMMMM!!!**

...And here comes an apparently non-random person, busting through the door like a wrecking ball.

"I am not a wrecking ball. I am... _an angel_."  
"Too cool!! In Japanese it's 'Kakkoi'!! So handsome!! How delusional too~! The last angel to fall onto this world!!"

...And it just keeps getting better. The loud crashing of the door being kicked off its hinges signalled the arrival of a crazy, violent angel and a blond who is always the receiving end of jokes and domestic abuse.

"Aww c'mon Sakuya~ I thought we were friends~!!" We are, that's why I went easy on you compared to the rest, Hyde.

"Hmph. I have descended to exact the angel's punishment upon those who lack _Christmas Spirit_."

So, who was it who did not heed my warnings earlier about heaven's punishment? Hmmm...?

"This place is crawling with demons." The angel...or rather, the personification of violence spat out with a chilling glare. Seriously, you seem the most demonic out of this entire group right now. "I will purify all of you with my angelic aura!!!"

"Ahaha~ Missed me~!" Tsubaki-san jumped up and down, refusing to be defeated like the annoying boss he is. "But if you get help, it's only fair if we can call for backup too, right~?"

Huh? Backup?

"Yup, backup~!"

....Well....an explosion just came out of nowhere....

This wasn't in the script!!! What's going on, Tsubaki-san?!!!

"Yo. Nice of you to invite this old man to the party."

....Higan?!! W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!?!!

"Well, I happened to finish grading those papers early and Tsubaki was calling for backup." Higan shrugged. "So I figured I would borrow a few things from the science lab and liven up your play a little bit."

......I seriously don't get paid enough to deal with this...

"Another demon!!" The reality-ignoring angel guy decided it would be a good idea to launch a flying kick at the newly arrived old guy, but was easily evaded. "I will end you!!!"

"Eh? Lichtan, isn't it supposed to be 'purify'?"

"Shut up demons!! DIE UNTIL YOU DIE!!"

...Yeah, let's just turn off the lights here and I'll just narrate the rest.

Basically, the chaotic battle continued between the insane, house-invading...uhh...demon army....and the violence-incarnate angel (plus one) who really only came by to drag "Mr.Cat" to his party.

And the pitiful Kuro, who....WOULD YOU GUYS QUIET DOWN BACK THERE?!! I'm trying to narrate here!!

Yeah, that guy got caught in the middle of the unnatural disaster there and met his bad end after being unable to run away fast enough, thanks to his lack of exercise and healthy food. To think, all of this could have been avoided if he had enough _Christmas Spirit_...or just listened to Mahiru and went to the Christmas Party.

Speaking of Mahiru, I'm just gonna leave and find him now...My job here is done, right?

Tinker, cue the curtain fall, please! And maybe security because I don't think those guys are going to stop anytime soon!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp, after 6 months overall, the 2-part Christmas Special is complete! Sorry for taking so long and I hope you all enjoyed this insane special~! :D This part alone was 22 FULL pages on my word doc XD, and I was literally sick of typing "Christmas Spirit" by the end of it LOL :P
> 
> Next update will be back to your normal scheduled programming...with the debut of a new (...well not really) group of characters! :D Yay~!!!! (???)
> 
> Also, thank you for all the continued support even through my long hiatus (blame life LOL) :D I really appreciate all the kudos and comments everyone left for me :)
> 
> If anyone was wondering...Otogiri was up working with the special effects crew during this XD. 
> 
> The next update...I'll try for the end of May...but realistically it would probably the first week of June (cuz I'm going to be busy with lot of stuff this month...). So I hope to see you all again then~! XD
> 
> LOL it's 12:01am now....I lied, I didn't get it up and formatted in time for April...I am so sorry X'D


	8. Suddenly, a Neighbor?!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life was going on as usual for Mahiru and Kuro after the whole special. But all of a sudden, a new(?) group of character debuts barge their way in? Will Mahiru's sanity survive? 
> 
> Find out...this time...right here, right now actually~!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I'm not dead, and neither is this story. But I think we can all safely assume at this point that I have 0 proper work ethic???
> 
> Sorry for the long wait!! >.< I'll be picking this story back up after months of writer's block and busy life. Rather, I basically finally have time to write only on my daily commute?? XO Still, thanks for everyone who left comments and kudos (they kept me reminded and motivated to finally get this out here!), and thanks to everyone who didn't give up on this story (and it's terrible updating :P)
> 
> Also warning~ This chapter is unbetaed as of publishing because by beta is MIA (LOL not literally but close enough???) XP If you find any errors or awkwardness please tell me so I can change it~!

A blast of strong wind blew across the streets. Like many others, the pair of high school boys hurried along the sidewalk in hopes of escaping the powerful gusts and flying projectiles (read: trash) as soon as possible. In each of their hands, plastic bags stuffed to the brim with various food products weighed down on them.

"...Ahh...mangaka are delicate beings...we're vulnerable to harsh weather conditions..."

"The faster we walk, the faster we can get out of this storm!!" Mahiru responded. "And don't swing the grocery bags around Kuro!!"

"...Speaking of groceries...I can already feel muscle pains coming..."

"There's only one more flight of stairs! Come on!"

"...How did we end up like this anyway..." Kuro mumbled tiredly. "...Let's throw in a flashback now and take a break..."

"We don't have time for that! Plus, this all started because you have absolutely nothing in your kitchen!" The brown-haired boy nagged his companion with a stern look.

"...My stash is enough to sustain me for months..."

"Junk food doesn't count!! It's because of that you never have the energy to work! You must eat healthier so you can do your best as both a student and a mangaka!!"

"....Can't deal..."

"That's exactly what I mean!" Mahiru shot back, annoyed. "Just think of Yumikage-san and all the stress he has to go through because of you!!"

"....He gets paid to do it..." Kuro answered. "...Plus, I'm sure that devil enjoys chasing us down to the ends of the earth..."

"You shouldn't say that about Yumikage-san! If it wasn't for him, who knows what would have happened to your career!"

Speaking of the blond editor, a question popped Mahiru's mind.

"Actually Kuro, I've been wondering...are all manga editors like Yumikage-san?"

"...You mean terrifying, with the senses of a bloodhound and anger management issues?" Kuro responded. "...He definitely grew up in the yakuza or something..."

"Don't be rude! But, kind of...?" Mahiru trailed off. "Is there a criteria saying they have to be strict and intimidating?"

"...The other one was terrifying in another way..." The blue-haired boy shuddered slightly while muttering under his breath.

"Kuro...?"

"...Nothing..."

_That's strange...I've never seen Kuro look so uncomfortable before..._

The two boys continued their journey in silence. Before long, they could see their destination.

"...Almost there...my bed..."

Mahiru sighed. "As long as you get up in time for lunch."

**SLAAAAAAMMMMM!**

The door to their right burst open suddenly and caused the two young men to flinch in surprise.

"What was that?!!" Mahiru exclaimed.

From the doorway, a lanky man barrelled out followed closely by a barrage of...souvenirs?!!

Mahiru did a double-take. It was indeed a flurry of knick-knacks aimed to maim the stranger in front of him. Everything from palm-sized totem poles to novelty mugs soared through the air with deadly accuracy. The target himself, however, looked strangely cheerful as he was pelted by cheap goods.

 _Weird...I'm getting a strong sense of deja vu right now..._ Mahiru thought. Looking left, he intended to ask Kuro if he could see the same bizarre scene unfolding before them but the hooded boy was nowhere in sight.

"Kuro? Kuro?!" Mahiru looked around in confusion. "Where did he disappear to all of a sudden?"

As suddenly and violently as before, the door slammed shut, leaving Mahiru alone with the man sitting in the hallway. The victim let out amused giggles and made no efforts to get up by himself.

"Are you alright, mister?" Mahiru extended his hand to the fallen man.

"I'm perfectly fine~!" The man grinned as he was pulled up. He was a bizarre happy fellow with short, black hair and a long, white coat. "You there, do you mind being my witness? I need to claim workplace injury compensation~!"

"Does that mean are you alright or not?!Please answer me simply!"

"Ehh...I'll live~" came the flippant reply. "Can't get paid if I'm dead you know~?"

 _Ah. Another weirdo has arrived..._ Mahiru deadpanned internally.

"Ahaha, thanks kid~ My pay and I will be counting on you then~"

Before Mahiru could react, the strange man slid down the railing of the staircase.

"Huh?! H-hold on a sec-!" Mahiru called out to the empty hall. "...He's gone?! But he didn't even give me his name or contact information..."

Seeing as there was nothing he could do standing in the middle of a hallway alone, Mahiru headed back into Kuro's apartment.

* * *

"Kuro! There you are!" Mahiru spotted his hooded classmate curled up on the sofa inside a mountain of cushions. "Geez, Don't run off by yourself! I was really worried when you disappeared all of a sudden!"

"....Too close...I had to escape before it was too late...."

"Huh? You mean all that flying stuff just now?" Mahiru answered. "They slammed the door shut after kicking that other person out. I never knew you had such a violent neighbor, Kuro."

"....Me neither..." Kuro mumbled. "...Now that I think about it...there are strange sounds coming from that side at night..."

"What do you mean, Kuro?"

"....Sometimes I hear groaning...grunting...furniture creaking..." the boy in the blue hoodie responded. "....The pounding on my bedroom wall is really loud...It disturbs my beauty sleep...."

"..."

**BAAMMM!!**

Once again, a loud noise startled the two boys. Facing the wall on their left, they sit quietly and listened as a loud, obnoxious laugh echoed through the wall.

"Ahahahahaa!!"

"....get...back here..!" The deep, angry growl was barely audible in comparison to the earlier voice. "...you promised...you would do it...after I did that...!"

"Ahaha~ But I'm not in the mood to do it anymore~" Even through the wall, they could hear the smug grin of the voice loud and clear.

"...stop...!"

A series of crashing noises followed.

"..." "..."

And then only silence remained, leaving the atmosphere ominously tense.

"Do you think they're ok, Kuro?" Mahiru asked quietly.

".....Just enjoy it while it lasts..."

"But what if they're hurt?" Mahiru leapt up and began walking towards the door. "Come on, Kuro!"

"....Why me..." The lazy mangaka replied.

"Instead of sitting here guessing, it's simply better to go check on them!"

Thus, a determined Mahiru and equally reluctant Kuro marched over to the unit next door.

"Excuse me!!!" The brown haired boy knocked loudly on the white wooden door. "Are you alright?! Do you need any help?!!"

No answer.

".....Guess they want us to leave them alone...." Kuro began to turn back, but was stopped by a strong grip on his beloved hood.

"We can't just leave! What is something bad happened and they can't answer us?!"

Much to Mahiru's relief (and Kuro's disappointment), the entrance slid open by a small gap right at that moment. Unfortunately, the opening was too small to properly see through, so neither boy could tell if that person was physically well or not.

"Sorry, but we aren't interested in anything you have to sell right now~!" the voice called from behind the door. It had a distinct hint of superiority and mischievousness that was very familiar though....

 _This voice...and that throwing skill earlier..._ Mahiru mentally slapped himself. _I remember it...but from where?!_

"....Ah." Kuro exclaimed tiredly. "....It's you..."

"Oya oya~ If it isn't Kuro and Mahiru-kun~! How have you two and my cute little brother been lately?"

"Eh?!!" Mahiru jolted at the now-visible blond man in a cowboy outfit. "Mikuni-san?! What are you doing here?!!"

"What a silly question! I expected more from you Mahiru-kun~" Mikuni laughed. "This is my hideout, of course! I come here to unwind between my travels."

"Huh?" Mahiru turned to look at the slouching teen beside him. Said lazy boy shrugged as if to say '...Don't ask me...I didn't know about this either'.

Seemingly unaffected his guests' stunned expressions; Mikuni grinned and urged the duo inside. "No need to be shy! Come on in~"

The apartment was very...sunny, for lack of a better word. The walls and furniture were in various shades of yellow, giving the place a bright (practically blinding) aura. Floor-to-ceiling windows and an open lounge made the unit appear more spacious and classy. On the other side of the room, many wooden desks and towering bookshelves looked like something straight out of a nobleman's mansion in movies. The sole exception to the "classy decor" was the doorway leading into the kitchen, which was strangely dim and had random paper bags peeking out of the corner. Mahiru was quite impressed with the place for the most part, especially how clean and organized it was.

"Feel free to sit down there and admire my abode, you two~" The blond cowboy pointed at the sleek, amber couch across the room. "Would either of you like tea?"

"No need to trouble yourself, Mikuni-san!"

"....You got coke instead...?"

"Kuro!" Mahiru chided. "Don't be rude!"

"...Fine...a coffee............please..."

"Coke? Coffee?!" Mikuni gasped, appalled. "We don't have _commoner drinks_ like that in this household! Tea is _obviously_ the superior beverage!! I expected more from a professional, Sleepy Ash, even if it's really just you."

"..." Kuro sighed, as if fully exhausted after that brief conversation.

"Still, it's no trouble at all! After all, _I'm_ not the one who's making it. Ahahaha!!" The blond's laughter echoed throughout the room.

"?!!"

An angry growl was heard from the direction of the kitchen, as a tall figure slowly stepped out with a small tray of drinks. It was yet another familiar figure, dressed in black robes, a stack of paper bags and...a frilly, pink apron with the large smiling face of Abel in the centre.

"....?!....." "?!! W-Wha?!?!"

"Even though we were so amazing that we already made a dramatic appearance a couple chapters ago, I still think formal introductions are in order~!" Mikuni announced with a flashy spin. "I am The Amazing Mikuni! And that gloomy guy over there is Jeje, the housekeeper. We're your neighbors, so please take care of us from now on!"

"....not...your housekeeper...!" Jeje growled, roughly placing the tray on the table (but nothing spilled, amazingly).

Mikuni snickered. "Well, you definitely aren't qualified enough to be my housewife~! AHAHAHAA!!"

"...i'm...your _assistant_...!" Jeje shot back. The tall man proceeded to pull out a nerf gun from his robes and aim it threateningly at Mikuni's head. The blond cowboy merely laughed obnoxiously, rocking on the chair.

"Huh? Jeje-san is your assistant?" Mahiru questioned.

"Yup~!" Mikuni grinned slyly. "You weren't really thinking he was my housewife, did you? Though I admit it can be misleading with him strutting around in that little apron!"

An angry growl and nerf bullet was sent Mikuni's way. Lifting up a magazine lying on the table, the blond swatted away the projectile easily.

"...Anyway...Mikuni-san?" Mahiru turned back towards the two older males, who somehow managed to initiate a full-blown gunfight by now. More specifically, Jeje was aggressively bombarding Mikuni with orange nerf bullets while said blond man skipped around, effortlessly dodging while relentlessly taunting his opponent.

"Hm? What is it?"

Deciding to ignore the bizarre scene (he knows better after the whole Christmas fiasco); Mahiru asked something that has been on his mind for a while. "What is it that you actually do?"

"Oho~? Fascinated by me, are you?" Mikuni said in an overly-pleased tone. "Not that I'm surprised. Mysterious backstories make a character _far_ more popular you know~"

 _Mikuni-san's way of talking is a bit annoying..._ Mahiru thought to himself. _I'm not sure I want to hear the answer anymore..._

"Though...I'm surprised Sleepy Ash hasn't told you..." Mikuni continued. At the blond's words, Mahiru perked up in interest.

"Sleepy- You mean Kuro?" Mahiru blurted out. "Calling him by his penname...Could you be a fan of Kuro's work?!"

An awkward silence descended onto the room like a heavy blanket.

_Did I...say something wrong?_

The other eventually broke the silence with a variety of different reactions. Kuro sighed, sounded as exasperated as someone who gave up after attempting to explain (for the millionth time) that instant noodles are a legitimate dinner option. Mikuni laughed hysterically, showing off his amazing lung capacity. Jeje, on the other hand, smacked himself in the face...err...bag with his hand, 100% done with the whole situation. And like the sensible person he was, Jeje turned around and disappeared back into the kitchen before he could be dragged into any more craziness.

Still feeling completely left out of the loop, the brown-haired boy eventually turned to his blue-haired companion, hoping for some assistance.

"....Can't deal..." Kuro drawled. "This guy is one of us too..."

"Huh? You mean Mikuni-san is a main character too?" Mahiru asked, concerned. "I don't think this story will survive like this. Every time Mikuni-san shows up, he ends up causing another 4-month hiatus happen for being _difficult_..."

"Hey!" The offended blond snapped. Sadly for him, he was totally ignored as Mahiru and Kuro were preoccupied with their current discussion (or each other, whichever you prefer).

"True..." Kuro nodded. "...But that's not what I meant. This guy is a-”"

"HOLD IT RIGHT THEREEEEE!!!" A loud protest rang out in the room. Turning to the source of the disturbance, Mikuni stood in front of the couch with his hands on his hips and a displeased expression. "First of all, how _dare_ you two besmirch my greatness through the fourth wall like that!! Kids have no respect these days!"

"..." The aforementioned duo stared blankly while the blond continued his tirade.

"Second, it's wayyy too boring to reveal my elusive backstory just like that," Mikuni grinned mischievously. "So how about we play a game with little Mahiru-kun here?"

"A game?"

"Yup~ A _simple_ guessing game. Of course, I'll allow you to look for clues around the house beforehand." The blond motioned to the space around him with an overdramatic twirl. "If you get it right in 3 tries, I'll give you a very special prize!"

"A prize?"

"Yup~ Aren't I just _so_ generous?"

"..." "..."

"Well then, without further ado...it's Investigation Time~!!"

 **\-------------------------**  
**Investigation Time**  
**\-------------------------**

Mahiru stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, unsure of where to begin.

"What'cha waiting for?" Mikuni asked with a teasing edge. "You won't ever succeed in life without information, you know."

Walking up to the nearest thing to him, which just so happened to be a television, Mahiru began his search.

 _Mikuni-san sure likes collecting souvenirs. It took 4 shelves to hold them all!_ Mahiru remarked. In front of him lay a wide assortment of cheap knickknacks from around the world surrounding a large flat screen TV. Everything from keychains, bear figures to even a miniature model of the Great Wall were proudly on display. _He said earlier that he travels a lot right? Then thinking simply-!_

"Are you an explorer?"

"Bzzt Bzzt! That's one strike for poor little Mahiru-kun. Too bad..."

 _Guess not. I wonder where I should search next._ Mahiru glanced around the room once again.

"...Mahiru..." The brown-haired boy turned when he felt a small tug on the edge of his shirt. "...Over there..."

"Ah ah ah~ No cheating allowed!" Of course, the blond was ignored by Mahiru in favor of listening to what Kuro had to say.

The place Kuro pointed to had tall bookshelves lined up along the wall. Upon closer inspection, there were all sorts of books meticulously organized on them. Beginning at the far left, Mahiru spotted cookbooks, pet discipline books and an assortment of magazines lined up on the shelves.

"Ship in a Bottle Weekly? That's an unusual name for a magazine."

"Oh, that's just Jeje's shelf. He doesn't have an appreciation for fine literature." Mikuni shrugged nonchalantly.

On the next few shelves, the books were noticeably more colorful. There were travel guides, thick novels (in foreign languages), doll magazines, heavy business textbooks and everything in between.

_Mikuni-san sure reads many different things...But what did Kuro want to tell me here?_

As if telepathically summoned, the blue-haired boy stepped closer and motioned towards a part of the bookshelf that was much more...pink than the rest.

"...Over here...Mikuni's stash o-”"

"I said no cheating, Sleepy Ash~!" Mikuni said lightly, but the flash of annoyance in his eyes was unmistakeable. "It's only right to play fair and square, you know. And don't forget, Sleepy Ash, I have ways to ruin your day with just one call~!"

"..." Kuro shuddered slightly. "...Sorry, Mahiru..."

"Kuro?"

"...I'll be cheering you on from here..." Kuro curled up in the farthest corner of the room from Mikuni and pulled out a 3DS. "...way...over...here..."

"That's not very convincing when you have a game in your hands!!" Mahiru retorted.

 _Still, do Kuro and Mikuni know each other well? Maybe he can tell me why Kuro was so uncomfortable of earlier._ Mahiru thought as he reached forward for one of many rose-tinted books on the shelf. To his chagrin, the nearby volumes also tumbled down onto the floor as well.

"Sorry Mikuni-san!! I'll clean this up right away!!"

Even at first glance, it was obvious they were all volumes of manga. The covers were bursting from top to bottom with sparkles, flowers and lacy circles of every color in the rainbow. Squatting down in the very centre of the shoujo explosion, the brown-haired boy spotted a very familiar-looking book.

 _Isn't this-!_ Mahiru blinked. _It is the latest volume of Kuro's manga!_

Deep in his mind, Mahiru recalled a recent memory of a certain purple-haired boy proudly holding up this very same book as he excitedly described his 'latest masterpiece'. Specifically, he was referring to the blooming arrangements of flowers and swirls surrounding a portrait of the protagonist on the cover.

"Mikuni, so you are a shoujo manga fan!" Mahiru exclaimed with a wide grin.

"Hmph. As if!" The blond replied with a huff, crossing his arms in front of himself. "I just picked that up for market research and intellectual purposes! That's two strikes already, Mahiru-kun!!"

Instead of responding, Mahiru simply decided to keep organizing the books around him. Before he could get much done, however, there was another book which caught his eye. To be more specific, the cheerful figure of a girl with twin braids hidden under a brown horned hat. In large bubbly text, the words 'My Fair Lady' were plastered across the top.

 _That picture!_ Mahiru quickly looked up at the small doll perched on Mikuni's shoulder, then back down at the book in front of him. He repeated the motion a few times with a growing sense of realization. To an outsider, however, he probably just looked crazy moving his head up and down like that.

_A-Abel?!! Then this must be Mikuni's-!_

"Hmm? Your head's gonna fall off if you keep nodding like that, Mahiru-kun."

"Mikuni-san! I found it!!" Mahiru exclaimed excitedly, gesturing to the book in his hands. "This is Abel, isn't it? That means that the apron Jeje had and your doll both came from this story!"

"Eh, so what~?" Mikuni retorted in a sing-song voice.

"Based on this cover, this must be a shoujo manga. You have hordes of merchandise from this story, and everyone knows you really like Abel. Thinking simply, you must really be a shoujo manga fan!!" Mahiru excitedly announced his conclusion.

"..." "..."

Two sighs of exasperation simultaneously flowed out of the others in the living room.

"Mahiru-kun... You must have lived a very good and innocent life, huh~"

"Eh? What do you mean by that??"

"....Mahiru....you're pretty dense sometimes....you know...?"

"Kuro!"

Rather than answering verbally, the boy in the blue hoodie got up and walked over to Mahiru. With one sleeve-covered hand, he motioned towards the bottom of the book.

"....Look again..."

"Look where? Here?" Mahiru said confusedly. "...'My Fair Lady' Volume 3, by.....Arisuin M. Wow, the author's name sure sounds similar to Misono's. Arisuin and Alicein...What a coincidence!"

Mahiru, of course, arrived at the simple conclusion that there was no way two extremely similar names could actually be related. Of course there wouldn't be any complicated backstories or conspiracies to be found anywhere near here, right?

"             " This was the sound of Kuro and Mikuni stunned to a new level of silence, so much so that even the ellipses (...) disappeared.

Fortunately for the plot, a sullen saviour adorning a frilly apron swooped in right at that time. Wordlessly walking straight to the bookshelf Mahiru stood in front of; Jeje reached up and pulled out one of the thick, nameless purple tomes sitting on the highest shelves.

"What...!" Mahiru exclaimed in surprise as he peeked at its contents.

Every page within the large book was filled to the brim with photographs surrounded by messy scrawls. While that by itself is nothing to be terribly surprised about, the common subject in every photograph sure was.

Inside the scrapbook, countless images of a very recognizable purple-haired shorty stared up at Mahiru. The collection varied from photos of a young (and unnaturally outgoing) Alicein Misono waddling about in a blue onesie to ones of the very same male brooding before a chess board inside the school art room (why he was playing chess instead of drawing is anyone's guess though).

_Why does Mikuni-san have so many pictures of Misono?!! It looks like he has photos of Misono's entire life here!!_

Just as he was going to ask the blond about this evidence of his potentially-stalker-like activities (of course, Mahiru is too trusting to simply assume this), he noticed an interesting photo.

It appeared to be taken many years ago, since the Misono there was even shorter than he was now. In the centre, the mini-Misono wore a brown cowboy hat as he dashed around with a brown-haired doll in hand. He was grinning widely towards the right side, but unfortunately there was a spiky, yellow blur at the edge of the photo.

"Ahaha~ Doesn't he look absolutely adorable~?"

"Yeah..." Mahiru answered amazed. "I've never seen Misono smile like that before!"

"He was such an angel back then..." Mikuni commented wistfully. "...HEY! Don't look at my cute younger brother with lewd eyes!!"

"HUH? Brother?!!"

"Of course~! Aren't we just two peas in a pod?" The blond grinned. Mahiru just stared back at him with an unconvinced look. "Fine...let me give you a special demonstration~!"

Clearing his throat, Mikuni calmly walked over to the low table where the cup sat innocently. Picking one up daintily, he took a small sip.

**SLAM!**

In a flash, Mikuni harshly stomped one foot on the table and turned with an angry expression. During the dramatic action, his cowboy hat fell to the floor and out popped a tuft of blond hair standing straight up. The tea shook intensely, but miraculously did not spill onto the cream-colored carpet.

"HOW DARE YOU SERVE ME SUCH A FOUL SUBSTANCE, YOU BASTARD!!!" He bellowed angrily. "DON'T TRY TO FOOL ME. THIS IS COMMONER'S TEA!!"

 _That tone...and gravity-defying hair!!_ Mahiru gasped inwardly. _He really is Misono's brother!!_

"Looks like you finally got it, Mahiru-kun." Mikuni grinned as he sat back down on the chair, hat returned to the top of his head. "Alicein Mikuni at your service~!"

"....His penname is practically the same as his real name..." Kuro, who was quietly gaming the entire time, interjected.

"Penname? Alicein Mikuni... Alicein M... Ari-" Mahiru gasped aloud as he picked up the manga once again. "Could this be YOUR book, Mikuni-san?!! You're a mangaka?!!"

"Mhmm! Sleepy Ash and I are under the same publishing firm, though I'm more partial to fantasy stories myself."

"Speaking of which... you just used your name for your work instead of one like Kuro's 'Sleepy Ash'... Do you like simple things too, Mikuni-san?"

"Wha- Ahahahahaaaa!!" Mikuni burst out laughing. Though it took a while, he eventually calmed down enough to speak in proper sentences again. "Everyone is free to choose whatever they want, as long as their editor is fine with it. Of course, my name is already amazing as it is, so why would I ever use some tasteless name that reeks of fanboying and middle-school syndrome?!!"

"..."

 _I can feel a heavy killing intent growing beside me..._ Mahiru shivered involuntarily. _I feel like I'll be consumed by it if I move even a little bit. What is this......Kuro?!_

Seemingly oblivious to the growing irritation of Kuro at the verbal jab, Mikuni continued to ramble on.

"My books are a definite bestseller every time they're published, thanks to my overwhelming charisma of course~!" The blond man laughed. "This one here is my greatest work to date, even!!"

Mikuni motioned at the sparkly, rainbow-filled volume in Mahiru's grip.

"How about I lend that to you, so you can witness what true literary art is like!" Mikuni said in a smug tone. "Aren't I such a kind and generous person? Ahahaha!"

 _Are all mangakas weirdos?!_ Mahiru asked internally, but thanked Mikuni nonetheless.

"So...you're really Sleepy Ash's assistant too, Mahiru-kun?" Mikuni asked, crossing his leg in an attempt to look classier. Startled by the abrupt change of subject, the brown-haired boy merely blinked.

"Huh? Oh...yeah, I am."

"Must be tough for you guys! Having to deal with this lazy one and his whims all the time!! I've heard the stories of his escapades, trying to hide from his editor, procrastinating, all that fun stuff~!"

"You did? You and Kuro must be really good friends!"

"Hardly." "...No." Came the simultaneous replies.

"We're not close at all, ahahaha~" Mikuni waved his hand dismissively. "I just happen to hear it from someone who was very...familiar with Sleepy Ash at some point, that's all."

"Familiar..." Mahiru thought aloud. "Ah! You're talking about Misono?"

"Nice try, but wrong again~" Mikuni sang. "You sure suck at guessing games, huh. Unfortunately, the answer is...a very unlikeable and talkative pest."

"A...pest?"

"Yup. But no one likes to talk about unpleasant things like that!" Mikuni was grinning as usual, but there was a dangerous glint in his eye. "So let's change to a better topic."

 _I wonder who this person is..._ Mahiru pondered internally. _If it's not Kuro or Misono, the only other person I know working with Kuro is Licht-san. They seemed to get along fine during the Christmas event though..._

"How do you like being a manga assistant, Mahiru-kun?"

"Eh? We're going back to this topic again?"

"Don't sweat the details! You'll go bald if you worry about every little thing all the time!" Mikuni sniggered. "Just look at Jeje...Heh I'm kidding~! But of course, you wouldn't know for sure unless you see underneath his bags, of course~"

In lieu of a verbal response, a volley of nerf bullets appeared from the kitchen doorway and sped towards the blond. Unfortunately, said young man easily twirled out of harm's way yet again.

"W-well, to answer your question, being an assistant sure is a lot of work! Kuro never finishes his work on time, and spends the whole day playing games or hiding from Yumikage-san. Plus, if no one is keeping an eye on him, he'll only eat junk food and leave trash everywhere. Misono would just end up gaming with him, and Licht-san is on his own level of confusing entirely. Everyone's a weirdo and there's never a moment to rest!"

"........" A silence descended upon the living room. Mikuni blinked, even he was speechless for once. "Sounds like you're going through a lot, huh. But if it's that bad for you, how about I tell you a way to get out of the contract with Sleepy Ash?"

"Huh? ...You mean quit being Kuro's assistant?" Mahiru asked. Behind him, a slouching figure in blue halted in the middle of his slow walk out of the room. "That's not what I want at all!"

"Hm? But didn't you just-"

"If no one is keeping an eye on them, who knows what trouble they would get themselves into!" Mahiru retorted. "Simply put, even though it is a lot of work looking after everyone, I still wouldn't ever want to give up being with all my friends!"

"Well, if you ever change your mind, I'll gladly welcome you into our team~!" The blond cowboy smirked as he placed a business card in Mahiru's hand. "Though our so-called _team_ is really just us two. It's rather short-staffed here actually..."

"You only have one assistant?" Mahiru looked surprised. Even with three assistants, it was already big rush to get Kuro's manuscript done every month. "Oh. What about your editor?

Mikuni made a face like he had bitten into an unripe lemon. On the opposite side of the room, Kuro subtly turned up the volume of his game and curled deeper into the nest of cushions he built.

_Did I say something wrong?_

"We don't like to talk about _that_." Mikuni answered flatly. "He's nothing but a petty, no-good little money-grubber. Always asking for compensation, ALWAYS finds ways to get out of doing his job, and **ALWAYS** shows up to bother people when they least want it!!!"

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Mikuni continued his rant. "He's practically the walking, talking dictionary definition of a disappointment to society. The only thing left to do would be to start leaping into every dumpster he finds...actually, there's no proof he doesn't already..."

Looking Mahiru straight in the eye with a serious expression, Mikuni spoke. "Now don't I think you're a bad kid, even though you clearly won't be able to last 5 minutes in the real world. Plus, Misono has too few friends as it is. Therefore, I'll be extremely generous and impart some free advice to you...if you ever see that person anywhere, escape immediately. Never say his name, lest he spawn like a vengeful demon. For the sake of your sanity and what little money you may have, always stay far, far away from him. Understand?"

 _For someone he doesn't want to talk about, Mikuni-san sure has a lot to say about him..._ Mahiru noted. _And even after the whole speech, I still don't know who that is._

Of course, when faced with a problem, it is practically guaranteed that Mahiru would choose the simplest way to deal with it. Thus, he opened his mouth to ask.

"Mikuni-san, who exactly is this person? You didn't give me a name or anything..."

"Huh. That's true." Mikuni blinked. "It would certainly be dangerous without proper information about the enemy. Wait here."

Standing up, Mikuni disappeared into the room at the end of the hallway. The sounds of sliding shelves and closing cabinets were the only thing the two teens could hear.

".....e! ....je! ...Jeje!!" The blond yelled from the inner room. "Where did you leave the business cards?"

With an annoyed growl, the pink-aproned man exited the kitchen and headed for the far room.

Curious about the sweet smell that had been wafting out of the kitchen since a while ago, Kuro immediately snuck towards the now-vacated space.

"Kuro! It's very rude to snoop around someone else's house!!" Mahiru scolded.

"...But cookies...and I'm hungry..."

"Don't eat them!!" Mahiru retorted as he rushed towards to kitchen to stop Kuro from taking the supposed cookies.

Inside the small kitchen, a large tray of cookies shaped like bunnies sat innocently in the oven. A sugary scent with a hint of vanilla wafted through the room, making the boys' mouths water. On the side, a bowl of white icing lay on the countertop. Fortunately, before either of them (read: Kuro specifically) could succumb to the delectable temptation, a loud voice rang out from the hallway.

"I found it~!"

Mikuni and Jeje reappeared in the living room just as the duo dashed out of the kitchen. With an accomplished grin, the blond waved around a small piece of paper in his hand. In reality, Jeje was the one who did all the work, but that fact will forever remain unacknowledged.

Mahiru took hold of the business card and looked down curiously.

"C3 Publishers...Head Editor...Kamiya Tsurugi?"

"Don't-" "...Wait...!" The mangaka duo shouted as they leapt up, but it was too late.

"What is it?" The oblivious Mahiru asked. For reasons unknown to him, the two had equally agitated and worried expressions on their faces.

"Now you've done it, Mahiru-kun~" Mikuni sighed dramatically while falling back onto the chair with one hand placed backwards on his forehead (for further theatrics). "After all my invaluable advice, you've gone and summoned the demon of annoyingness."

 _Summon- Does he mean when I read out the business card? That can't be true, right?_ Mahiru reasoned internally. _People simply can't just appear all of a sudden from that!!_

"Mikuni-san, there's no way-"

**KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!**

Immediately, Mikuni grabbed Mahiru and Kuro by the collar of their shirts, pulling them down behind the back of the sofa. On their right, a tired sigh was faintly heard as the kitchen door eased shut. Mahiru opened his mouth to protest, but was silenced by the stern look on the older blond's face.

"Shhh!!!" Mikuni hissed under his breath. He reached around behind him and armed himself the nearest small object. Said object just so happened to be a snow globe containing very menacing disembodied head of Santa. "It must be him. Stay down and grab something!!"

Silence permeated the apartment. No one dared to move. All eyes were fixed intently on the front door.

**KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!**

"Kuni-chan~ I see you~" A voice sang from behind the three males in the living room.

"!!!"

"You-!" Scrambling to his feet, Mikuni swerved around and readied his arm to launch his projectile at the source of the voice.

Outside the balcony window, a very familiar dark-haired man appeared to be sitting on the ledge. There were a number of crows perched on either of his arms, which just ended up looking like a giant cluster of squawks and feathers (or messy, unsymmetrical wings, if you prefer).

"Ah! It's the victim from earlier!!" Mahiru exclaimed in surprise. Dashing towards the window, he quickly slid it open to let the airborne man inside to safety. _Wasn't he hurt earlier? How did he get up to the 10th floor balcony?_

"Oho~ My injury claim witness! I didn't know you were involved with Kuni-chan too~!"

"Kuni-chan? Who's that?"

The man smiled brightly and pointed behind Mahiru...straight at a certain glaring blond.

"I'm quite sure I've told you _many times_ not to call me that," Mikuni spoke, with a smile and voice dripping with venom. "Or is that too much for your lowly intellect?"

"No need to be embarrassed, Kuni-chan!!"

" _Anyway_." Mikuni spun around, ensuring that the dark-haired man was nowhere in his field of vision. "Mahiru-kun, this is the disaster you summoned. But it appears you've already met before."

"Kamiya Tsurugi at your service!" Tsurugi bowed deeply with a wide grin. "I can do anything you could want from a dog like me...for a reasonable price."

"...Except your actual job." Mikuni spitefully interjected.

"Ahahaha, you're as funny as always, Kuni-chan!"

 _So this is Mikuni-san's editor?_ Mahiru looked between the two older males helplessly. _They don't look like they get along at all..._

"Nice to meet you, Tsurugi-san," Mahiru said politely. "I'm Shirota Mahiru and I like simple things. This here is Kuro...???"

Looking around the living room, there was no sign of his lazy companion anywhere.

"Kuro?"

To Mahiru's surprise, Tsurugi perked up at the name with a bright expression.

"Kuro-chan? By any chance, is Sleepy Ash here too?"

"Huh? You know Kuro too, Tsurugi-san?"

"But of course!! We share a wonderful history together!" Tsurugi grinned. "I was the one who nurtured him into the mangaka he is today!"

"...you mean traumatized the poor kid until he avoids you like the plague..." Was the barbed retort from Mikuni under his breath.

"No need to be jealous of my exes, Kuni-chan!"

"For someone who supposedly holds a full-time work position, it's quite amazing how delusional you are."

"Uhh..." Once again, Mahiru was totally lost and could only look on blankly. Fortunately for him, the blond noticed his confusion and figuratively threw him a bone, so to speak.

"Before I was cursed to work with _this one here_ ," a not-so-subtle wave at the standing figure of one Kamiya Tsurugi was made. "Sleepy Ash was the unfortunate victim to his antics. In other words, it's his previous editor."

"Oh, I see!" Mahiru exclaimed. "What a coincidence! But why doesn't Kuro like Tsurugi-san very much?"

"Oh no, you must have been mistaken!" Tsurugi cut in before anyone else could say a word. "He must still be heartbroken after we parted so suddenly. That's why he can't bring himself to see me even now!!"

 _That...doesn't sound like Kuro at all..._ Mahiru noted.

"In fact-"

_Ring Ring~ Yumi-chan Calling~ Ring Ring~_

Pulling out a phone from the pocket of his white coat, Tsurugi chirped. "Yumi-chan~ Miss me already~?"

_Yumi-chan? Could that be his girlfriend?_

"Yup, I'm really at Kuni-chan's right now....Of course! ...Ahahaha!! Bye now!" With a laugh, the call ended as suddenly as it came. Tsurugi turned back to the two inhabitants of the room. "Sorry about that! Yumi-chan can be such a worrywart sometimes! Now I need you to do me a favour, can you take a picture?"

Handing Mahiru his phone, Tsurugi walked over to the pile of shoujo pink books on the floor. Lifting a random volume up with one hand and a victory sign with the other, Tsurugi posed as Mahiru resignedly took a photo.

"Thanks! You sure are obedient, aren't you~"

_Is that supposed to be a compliment...?_

"Yumi-chan really should learn to relax sometimes..." Tsurugi sighed in an exaggerated way. "I wouldn't want all of Yumi-chan's luscious blond hair to fall out!! Think of all the wigs that could be made out that long hair!!"

"I don't think you should be saying that last part to her face, Tsurugi-san..." Mahiru began, hesitantly.

"Hmm? Why not?" Tsurugi replied innocently. "I say that all the time! And then-"

_Ring Ring~ Yumi-chan Calling~ Ring Ring~_

_Just as I said..._ Mahiru sighed. Wordlessly, Tsurugi pulled out his phone and placed it on table in front of him before answering.

"Hello? Yumi-chan~"

"-gi." A deep, angry voice rang out from the phone. "STOP SLACKING AND GET BACK TO THE OFFICE!!!"

Even with the phone far away from anyone's delicate eardrums, the sheer intensity of the voice managed to momentarily stun everyone in the local vicinity.

"But Yumi-chan~ I came to Kuni-chan's for _work_!!"

"I can only imagine what kind of work you're doing when you send me a picture of yourself holding a book from one of my authors..."

"Eh?" Indeed, the photo showed a grinning Tsurugi holding a volume of Kuro's manga. "Whoopsie~"

"Wait..." Mahiru blurted out. "That voice...and 'his author'... could it be?!"

"Hmm? Yup~ Yumi-chan is Kuro's current editor!!" Tsurugi smirked while the angry rant from the phone continued in the background. "Do you know him too?"

 _Yumikage-san is....Yumi-chan?!_ Mahiru desperately tried to comprehend this world-changing realization. _That's too misleading!! Nicknames should be simple to understand!_

"-Are you listening?!! Don't make me come over there and get you!!"

"Of course I am, Yumi-chan~" "Please come and drag this guy off..." Came the simultaneous replies.

"So mean, Kuni-chan~" Tsurugi whined, but his grin never once slipping from his face.

"...I'll be there in five." Yumikage sighed before hanging up.

"Guess my time here is coming to an end...how sad~ Ahahaha!!" Tsurugi laughed.

"You don't sound sad at all." Was the deadpan reply from the blond cowboy.

"I should make the most of my time left and dig through Kuni-chan's stuff...for work purposes!!"

"Seriously...Why did you even come here?!"

"To look for something, of course! For work!" Tsurugi answered without missing a beat. "And to visit Kuni-chan again!"

"What could you possibly need to find in my apartment of all places?" Mikuni said, as annoyed as he could manage. "I'm not letting you sneak off with another one of my hoodies, you know."

"But you never even wear hoodies now..." The dark-haired man whined. "Plus I look _much better_ in white~"

During the entire exchange, Mahiru stared in shock at how childish the argument was, even though they were supposed to be adults. He was jolted out of his thoughts when he felt a tug on his sleeve.

"Huh? Kuro?" Mahiru look at the aforementioned boy with confusion. "Where have you been?"

"...Hiding in a safe and warm location..." Kuro responded as he pulled something out of his pocket. "...Here...your share..."

Mahiru accepted the small baggy of cookies and put them in the pocket of his jacket.

"...We should escape now...It's coming."

"Huh? What is?" The brown-haired boy was wholly confused as his companion began to pull him by the arm towards the front door. For someone known for their laziness, Kuro could be surprisingly strong at times.

"...Violence..."

Meanwhile, Jeje finally emerged from the kitchen to stop the two men who have been reduced to childishly calling each other names. Pointing one gun at each of them, he pushed the two apart and sat them on chairs on opposite ends of the table.

"......sit....still..." Jeje growled menacingly.

"Aww, but then how would I look for _that thing_?" Tsurugi griped. "If Yumi-chan knew you didn't let me look for it, he'll be very angry!"

"And what is this oh-so-important _thing_ you speak of?" Mikuni gave the dark-haired man a distrustful glance.

"Oh, nothing too exciting, unfortunately~" Tsurugi shrugged nonchalantly. "Just this month's manuscript."

"WHAT." "..........what." "What?!!" "...Mahiru...Run." Four voices rang out from various parts of the apartment.

Shock quickly turned to anger, as Mikuni chucked the menacing Santa snow globe at Tsurugi. The projectile was followed closely by a barrage of small items scattered around the room, in a view not unlike what Mahiru and Kuro witnessed at the door earlier. On the other end of the attack, Tsurugi danced around merrily as he easily dodged each oncoming weapon.

While the two men were distracted, Kuro tugged Mahiru out the door and into the peaceful hallway. The two continued down the stairs, along the street and into the nearest convenience store. Only then did Kuro finally loosen his tight hold on the brown-haired teen's sleeve and headed straight towards the shelves of instant noodles in the corner.

"Kuro! No more junk food!" Mahiru shouted, running over to the other boy. "Also, did you know that Mikuni was going to start throwing things when you told me to escape with you?"

"....If Misono's violence runs in the family.....it's almost guaranteed...."

Recalling instances of his purple-haired friend's angry rants and impeccable throwing skill, Mahiru could only nod with an awkward chuckle. "You've got a point there, Kuro."

"...But more importantly, I had to get out of there before he gets here..."

"Are you talking about Yumikage-san? Why?"

"...I may or may not have...forgotten...to do a cover spread for this month's issue..."

"KURO!!"

~~XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX~~

_ BONUS EXTRA (OMAKE) MINI-SEGMENT _

Mahiru sat down with the large sack Mikuni handed him earlier today. From everything he learned about Mikuni in his past encounters, it was hard for him to imagine the eccentric blond writing sparkly, rose-tinted stories for a shoujo magazine. Rather than mulling over the thought and losing sleep, the brown-haired boy simply decided to look through Mikuni's works until bedtime.

Mahiru flipped through the many printed works now stacked into neat piles on his desk.

 _Ah. This is a story about Abel in Wonderland._ Mahiru noted. _This one here is Abel on a Journey to the Direction of the Setting Sun....That sounds familiar...Wait a minute._

Mahiru opened up more volumes and spread them around him.

_Abel the exorcist taking down a bunch of supernatural men._

_Abel, a student council president in the Kingdom of Magic ruling over a bunch of enchanted guys..._

_Abel in another world with her...netbook._

_...Abel...a beast master who sends hordes of both tanuki and suspicious males blasting off again?!?!_

Everywhere he looked, a familiar girl with twin braids smiled back at him. Very soon, Mahiru was surrounded in all directions by countless renditions of Mikuni's favourite doll. There was no longer anywhere inside his bedroom that was free of the smiling girl in the red dress.

"Abel, Abel, ABEL!!! Just how much does Mikuni-san like Abel?!!"

Suddenly feeling extremely tired, Mahiru decided to stop trying to understand the absurdity of a mangaka's mind and turn in for the night. All the while, the army of Abel lay watching, waiting...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOL This was 21 pages of formatting... -.-" I found something that tires me out more than homework (jk jk XD) This and writing Mikuni...just kidding??? I don't even know why I find him so hard to write... Fortunately, he won't be showing up next chapter so I probably won't be gone another 4+ months??? I decided to leave the next one to one of my more trusted characters LOL (hint hint), but Mikuni and his group here will be back before you know it~
> 
> In case you were wondering, Mikuni and Jeje are in university. I just never really found a place to mention that but maybe one day it'll come up officially.XD Also, forgive me for the vague interior design and room descriptions because I have no idea what their place looks like XD Even though I wrote this... TTnTT 
> 
> Oh and don't worry, all of Mikuni's photos come from /legal sources/ :)
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chap~! :3 And the bonus LOL.
> 
> Thanks again and see you all next chappie~! :D


	9. Suddenly, another protag?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the author and main characters going MIA (not really), it's time for the "side characters" to take the stage this time.  
> With Mahiru and the manga gang gone, who will be the protagonist for this chapter?!

"Wake up Kuro! It's already lunchtime!"

"...Mmmrph..."

As students were scrambling to their favourite lunch spots, the brown-haired boy stood in the middle of the classroom. In front of him, a figure in a blue hood was sprawled across the desk. To his right, two neatly wrapped lunch boxes sat innocently on the desk.

"Wake up Kuro!" Mahiru shook his companion's shoulder firmly. "Did you forget that we need to get references around the school building today? We can't keep the others waiting!"

".......The person you are looking for is currently unavailable...please call back later......a lot later..."

"You're clearly awake if you can answer me!" Mahiru retorted. "And this is a live conversation, not a phone call!!"

"...Was worth a shot..." Kuro mumbled, pulling his fuzzy hood further over his head. "...And you can't force people to work on lunch breaks...it's illegal..."

"No excuses! Come on!" With a strong tug, Mahiru dragged Kuro off his chair and out the door. Unbeknownst to the brown-haired student, two pairs of eyes were watching their entire exchange with interest.

"I guess Mahiru won't be joining us for lunch again." Koyuki said as he watched the duo disappear into the halls. "Ever since his confession, they've been eating together almost every day."

"That married couple routine will give everyone diabetes by the end of the term." Ryuusei shook his head.

"You just miss Mahiru's homemade lunches, don't you?" The curly-haired boy smiled.

"Good stuff is meant to be shared, ya know." Ryuusei replied sagely, stroking his non-existent beard. "I'm sure Sakuya would agree."

"Speak of the devil..."

Right on cue, the green-haired teen slid in from the doorway with a dramatic pose. "And now, the one you've ALL been waiting for—"

"No one was particularly waiting for you." Ryuusei retorted flatly. "That lunch you _still_ owe me though..."

"Wow, _rude_. You don't deserve to bask in my greatness." Sakuya replied, turning away with his nose pointed to the ceiling. "More importantly, where's Mahiru? I've been thinking about him and his fried chicken all morning!"

"Told you so." Ryuusei grinned smugly at Koyuki.

"You just missed him." Koyuki ignored the blond's smug expression and answered. "Mahiru already left with Kuro."

"Whaaaat?" Sakuya put on an exaggerated face of shock and betrayal. "How could he ditch us like one-off supporting cast? Especially with my—"

"Yeah, yeah, we all know about your flat sense of humor!  Let's go already before they run out of milk bread!!" At the potential threat of not getting his coveted meal from the cafeteria, Ryuusei jumped up from his seat and dashed in the direction of the cafeteria.

"Again, RUDE! Plus, it's not like that tiny bit of calcium will help you grow any taller!"  
"Ryuu-chan, wait! You forgot your wallet again!!"  
Sakuya and Koyuki called out simultaneously as they hurried after the blond. 

By the time they reached the door, they saw no traces of him other than a trail of dust clouds and collateral damage (read: disgruntled students) of his rampage.

 

* * *

  

The cafeteria buzzed with excitement. Students happily chattered away at tables and along the walls of the large room with food in hand. Everyone wanted to fully savor their meal and the one precious hour of the school day where they did not need to sit stiffly in front a teacher. 

On the contrary, the far side of the room emanated an intense atmosphere. The space was overflowing with tension, adrenaline and students packed tightly together like the suitcase of a tourist who went into a few too many gift shops. Limbs flailed in various directions, but the students' ravenous gazes were focused on one thing and one thing only. 

The food store.

More specifically, it was their rapidly diminishing supply of pastries. The store offered a wide selection of items ranging from fan-favorite _curry buns_ and _yakisoba bread_ to potentially disastrous options like _protein-powdered croissants_ or _Johannes’ special muffins_ (with a mysterious secret ingredient each time!).

"There's still some left!" Ryuusei gave a cry of joy when he spotted the round mounds wrapped inside the distinct cow-print packaging. Without a second to lose, he accelerated in the direction of the store. "The bread gods have not forsaken me!!"

"...But...Ryuu-chan...Your wallet!" Koyuki panted by the cafeteria entrance. Behind him, Sakuya jogged in without breaking a sweat.

Oblivious to the two newcomers, the blond dived straight into the mass of hungry teens. With a look of fierce determination, he muscled past one student after another on his path to the front of the line. Despite his short stature, years of soccer has gifted Ryuusei with strong legs, unyielding stamina, and an indomitable spirit.

"Ryuu-chan!" Hoping to save his friend from his own absentmindedness, Koyuki also charged into the crowd.  Unfortunately, his strength stat was too low and he was repelled by the human wall. Even the power of friendship wasn't enough to help him overcome this great challenge. Distraught, he peered frantically over the heads of the spectating crowd to catch a glimpse of his companion.

Suddenly, a loud voice called out from the right.

"Oho, if it isn't the school's resident lettuce-head! Are you here to join the Japanese Lunchtime Rush?" A snickering blond stepped forward to stand beside Sakuya, watching the chaos of the lunchroom with amusement.

"Ohoho, if it isn't the drama club's sandbag! How rare to see you without your guardian angel!" Sakuya answered with a teasing tone.

"It's dangerous to let anyone to get too much exposure to the blinding presence of everyone's favorite Lawless-chan, you know?" Hyde wagged his finger with a smirk. "Even Lichtan wouldn't be able to resist idolizing me if we were always together!"

"So basically, you're admitting that you're unbearable in large doses?" Sakuya retorted with a raised eyebrow. "And I have to sit beside you in class all day too..."

"Wha— so mean, Sakuya!" Hyde gasped out, clutching his chest like he had been shot. "After all we've been through together!"

"You're not joining in today? I was hoping to get a chance to watch the Drama Club Special (Cafeteria Edition) today." Sakuya ignored the blond's dramatics and gestured towards the bustling food store. "The little genius angel will be so disappointed without his melon bread."

"Luckily, I didn't get any ridiculous demands like that today. Plus, it's too late now even if I did want to. _That_ should already be on the way."

The young men continued their friendly banter, relishing in the chaos unfolding before their eyes. Much to Koyuki's worry, however, the familiar blond head and red hairband were still nowhere to be seen.

"Ryuu-chan? Ryuu-chan!!" Koyuki called out over and over. "Where are you?! It's almost 12:15!!"

At those words, the entire cafeteria fell into a cacophony of rushed whispers.

"Did someone just say 12:15?!"

"...It's true!"

"Oh no."

"I have my camera ready."

"We've gotta get out of here!"

"Someone call the nurse! ...Wait no, please don't do it...!"

People began to duck under the tables, only their heads peering out in nervous curiosity. Others dashed frantically for the exit. The mob at the food store pushed harder towards the front, desperate to get their spoils of war before it was too late.

"RIP y'all." A random voice called out from somewhere in the room. You know, that one person in any given group that acts like that...

Footsteps boomed through the hallways, getting louder as they approached the closed doors of the cafeteria.

Koyuki stared worriedly at the other two grinned conspiratorially. For their personal safety, they moved back to lean against back wall a good distance from the door. Ryuusei was still nowhere to be seen.

"On this day, the student body received a grim reminder..." Hyde began solemnly. His dual-colored bangs covered his eyes as his head drooped gravely for dramatic effect.

"Soon, The End of the World will fall upon us..." Sakuya followed up without missing a beat. He nodded sternly with his arms crossed in front of him.

Together, they began the countdown of doom.  
"3...2...1."  
"3...2...1."

* **BAAMMM** *

"I'M HERE AND MAN, AM I STARVINGGG!!" A loud voice bellowed right as the cafeteria doors burst open. The perpetrator was a white-haired man in a gym uniform with a bright red whistle.

"Isn't this a bit over the top? I swear, he's gonna destroy that door one day..." Sakuya shook his head with an exasperated sigh.

"Weren't you here that one time in May? Wor-kun totally sent it flying across the room!!" Hyde cackled.

The man in question barreled through both the door and hordes of unfortunate students unlucky enough to be standing in his path towards the direction of the food store. Arms spread out wide; he picked up a mountain of packaged breads and dropped them unceremoniously in front of the cashier. 

"That'll be ¥9475, Gluttony-sensei."

"Oi. Put it on my tab, will ya?"

The shopkeeper gave him an unamused look. "Then you should pay off your so-called _tab_ first. That adds up to ¥47695."

Gluttony stumbled back, shocked.

"THAT CAN'T BE RIGHT!! What about staff discounts?!"

"Oh silly me, I forgot to include tax. Here's a list of all your unpaid purchases _this month_." The shopkeeper brought out a small scroll from the drawer before her. With a flick of her wrist, the scroll unraveled over the counter and rolled down to Gluttony's shoes.

"But...but I'M BROKE!! Payday isn't until Friday!" He uttered, grabbing the edge of the counter to steady himself. His expression bore a striking similarity to a student who was told that they bubbled in their whole multiple choice sheet off by one row. "HOW WILL I SURVIVE?!!"

"That's your problem." The lady shrugged. "Now will you be paying by cash or debit?"

Gluttony glanced around the room frantically, hoping to find a savior in his time of need. His eyes lit up when they landed upon a pair of teens with green and yellow-black hair, respectively.

"SAKUYA! HYDE! MY GOOD FRIENDS!!"

The pair sweatdropped but waved back awkwardly nonetheless. Anyway, it was already too late to try escaping. No one could hope to outrun the P.E. teacher after all, ESPECIALLY when food was at stake.

"How'd you guys like to do your favorite teacher a small favor?" Gluttony grinned widely. "I'll even give you each a _Get-Outta-Detention-Free Card_ , so what'd you say?"

"Heh...Nice to see you too Wor-kun...I'd love to help you," Hyde chuckled nervously. "But see, here's the thing... I spent all I have on Lichtan's melon bread. Sorry!"

"Same here," Sakuya forced a grin. "I already spent my allowance on...toys for my...pet fox! You know how high-maintenance they can be."

"You got a pet too? Since when?"

"Shut it Hyde."

Gluttony nodded sagely. "I understand, I understand. Giving your all to your first very important partner, be it an animal or a person. It's all the beauty of **youth**."

"....." The teens stared blankly at their teacher.

"Go on, you two! Enjoy your youth to the fullest! As your homeroom teacher, I will give you my full support!!"

"Uhh...Yes sir! Thank you sir!" Deciding not to question it anymore, the two nodded and scurried out of the cafeteria as fast as their legs would take them. Koyuki and Ryuusei (who looked a bit worse for wear) followed quickly after them.

"I'm so proud of those boys..." Gluttony said with a smile. "But wait...! WHO'S GONNA PAY FOR MY FOOD NOW?!?!"

Reaching into the pockets of his clothes, he searched frantically for his phone.

"SIS! Are you still in your classroom?" He yelled into the small device. "YOU'VE GOTTA SAVE ME!!"

 

* * *

 

The four young men settled down on the school rooftop, relieved to have gotten away from the terror invading the cafeteria mostly unscathed. 

"Aww man," Ryuusei groaned. "Thanks to World's End, I came out empty-handed today!"

Koyuki pulled out his lunch and pushed it towards the blond. "Ryuu-chan, do you want to share some of mine?"

"Really? Awesome!" Ryuusei perked up immediately, his previous disappointment gone without a trace.

"Here, I'll be generous and donate a lollipop to the Starving Ryuusei Foundation." Sakuya smirked as he flung the small treat at Ryuusei. "Your turn, Hyde."

"Eh? Me too?"

"Of course, feeding Ryuusei's black hole stomach is a mandatory part of our lunch routine."

"But I didn't manage to get anything either..." Hyde whined. "Are you guys just gonna leave this cute, little Lawless-chan to starve?"

"Umm..."  
"Huh, better you than me." Came the two simultaneous answers. 

"Traitors!" Hyde cried dramatically. "Sakuya!  You're my last hope...don't abandon me!"

"Well..." Suddenly, a metaphorical light bulb lit up above Sakuya's head. With a smirk that foreshadowed terrible things to come, he stood up and dragged Hyde towards the staircase.

"W-what're you doing? Where are you taking me?" Hyde struggled in vain against the tug on his scarf.

"To solve both your problems at the same time." The green-haired teen cackled darkly. "Might as well put your 'popular guy' character setting to good use."

"Wai— Hold on...!"

With a dramatic slam of the door, the pair of pranksters disappeared.

 

* * *

 

The rooftop was peaceful with only Koyuki and Ryuusei left. While waiting for their companions, the two talked casually with Koyuki's lunch between them. 

"We're back!" Sakuya's exclaimed suddenly, shattering the relaxed atmosphere. He kicked open the rooftop door and walked through with heaps of bags.

"Welcome back." Koyuki greeted with a smile, before blinking at Sakuya in surprise. "Huh? What do you have there?"

"Sustenance." Sakuya answered proudly. "Cookies, cupcakes, even a few side dishes. Hyde's carrying the rest." 

Right on cue, the bespectacled blond appeared with a tower of bento boxes and even more bags. "I do enough unpaid labor in the drama club, why do I have to do it here too?"

"Technically, all of this stuff is yours. _I'm_ the one who's helping." Sakuya dropped his stash in the middle of their lunch circle. "Ok! Let's dig in!"

"How'd you manage to get all this food so quickly?" Koyuki asked, on behalf of Ryuusei who was too busy drooling at the amazing spread in front of him.

Sakuya shrugged and gestured towards Hyde. "Never underestimate fangirls, especially those in second period Home Ec. The moment I said something about ‘Lawless being lunch-less’, we got flooded with bags of sweets, leftovers and even some specially-made bentos. Super cliché, but hey, it works."

"Tam, Em hehlez." (Damn, I'm jealous)

"Ryuu-chan, please don't talk with your mouth full..."

"...Mmmrmmm...Haah." Ryuusei finally resurfaced from the ocean of food to give the other three a questioning look. "Well? Whatcha waiting for? There's food to be eaten!"

And with that, their journey to the bottom of the food mountain began.

 

* * *

 

"Ugh...I'm stuffed..." Hyde groaned tiredly. Propped up by his elbows, he stretched his legs lazily before lying back onto the roof.

"I'm amazed we could actually finish everything." Koyuki's smile was a bit strained at the edges as he rubbed his stomach.

"Food coma incoming..." Ryuusei muttered and collapsed backwards without an ounce of grace.

"Now that we're content and full...let's get some entertainment." Sakuya piped up cheerily. "Hyde, how about telling us a good story?"

"But I'm too full to move..." The aforementioned blond groaned. "What kind are you looking for anyway?”

“Hmmm..." Sakuya looked over with a mischievous smirk. "How about the story behind what happened to your inseparable duo today? The tale of the missing angel."

"You’re never gonna let that go, are you?" Hyde sighed. "To answer your totally boring request, Lichtan's off on some secret lunch meeting or something. He left before I got to his classroom earlier. You'd think he would tell me about these changes beforehand, right? But _nooo_ , he just disappears without a word! And another thing, don't talk as if Lichtan and I are always together, will ya."

Sakuya just raised one eyebrow skeptically.

"Even his homeroom teacher comes looking for me whenever something happens." Hyde continued with a huff. "Like, what even is that?? Do I look like a babysitter to you?! It's not like he listens to me anymore than the rest of you! Even after all we've been through, and all I've had to do for him!!"

"Ok, ok, that's good!" Sakuya interrupted quickly. He needed to think of a distraction quickly before Hyde ended up whining for the rest of the break. "Oh hey! Why don't we teepee the nurse's car on Friday? We haven't done something like that in a while."

"I'm in." Hyde agreed quickly, his earlier mood gone as if it was never there in the first place.

"I've been hoping to get him back for that biological weapon he called _a_ _cake_ during Christmas."

"We can also use plastic wrap on it first so he won't be able to get in for a _long_ time."

"You're both insane, you know that? Remember to show me the finished masterpiece!" Ryuusei grinned from his resting place.

"Ryuu-chan! Don't encourage them!" Koyuki frowned disapprovingly. "And you two really shouldn't do stuff like that...he'll send you to detention...or worse!!"

"It's fine, it's fine. Especially considering just who the disciplinary teacher is." Hyde said with a nonchalant wave of his hand. "Just offer him some donuts and Wor-kun'll let us off scot-free."

"Speaking of which, why do you guys call Gluttony-sensei 'World End' anyway?" Koyuki wondered aloud.

"Cause it sounds much cooler than his actual name." Ryuusei replied. "Even he thinks so."

"What kind of crazy parents would name their kid Gluttony anyway?" Sakuya asked.

"The same type that decides on 'Hugh the Dark Algernon the Third'." Hyde shrugged at the incredulous stares aimed towards him. "What? I used to know a guy."

"So their family name is Algernon?"

"No, it's 'The Third'."

"What." Came the trio of simultaneous deadpan voices.

"And they named him Hugh the Dark. Does their family have Middle Second Grade Syndrome or something?"

"His first name is actually Hildebrand. I guess his parents really liked foreign names. There was no way a bunch of kids could pronounce it properly so of course we ended up butchering it in the weirdest way. We normally call him Hugh though."

"..."

"Anyway, I think he should be...one year below us...?"

"Huh. Which school?" Sakuya asked casually.

"Uhh..."

"How do you not know where your friend goes? You are a terrible person." Sakuya shook his finger disapprovingly.

"Gimme a break! I haven't talked to the guy since _I_ was in middle school!" The blond huffed. "Assuming he didn't move or anything, then he'd probably be in... White Water Middle School."

"Did you just say **White Water**?" Ryuusei yelled abruptly. "Your friend goes to White Water Middle School?"

"Yeah...why...?." Hyde glanced warily at the other blond. Ryuusei had jumped to his feet so quickly, it is almost impossible to believe that he was groaning pathetically on the floor just moments ago. He sort of looked as if he wanted to smack something.

"...White Water Middle... that telephone pole...hot springs maniac..." Ryuusei muttered fiercely. He seemed to be making a valiant attempt to glare holes through the rooftop.

"You ok there Ryuusei?" Sakuya began, confused. "...You sound like you're about to voodoo someone or something..."

"You think _that’s_ how voodoo looks like?!" Hyde questioned incredulously. In response, the green-haired boy only shrugged.

"Eh...I don't judge."

"Objection! Your honor, I disagree with your opinion!"

"Overruled! ...Or I'd say that if I was actually a judge."

"Hold it! Overruling my objection and _still_ denying being a judge? I sense a contradiction!"

While the two jokesters were trailing further and further off topic, Koyuki slowly approached his (currently crazed) friend. Gently, he patted Ryuusei on the shoulder and tried to bring him back to reality.

"Graagh...!" The aforementioned blond jolted. "Huh? Koyuki? What's up?"

"Hey, look who's back from the land of the crazies!" Hyde grinned. His prior conversation with Sakuya had spiralled off-topic so much that neither of them could remember what they were originally talking about. Thus, they gave up.

"So...mind explaining what that little thing was just now...?" Sakuya prompted.

Noticing Sakuya and Hyde's questioning looks, Koyuki spoke up. "White Water Middle School's soccer team is famous in our prefecture. Their skills and strategy are so good that they're participating in the high school league this year."

"Isn't that against the rules somehow...?"

"People said that if they left them in the middle school league, it would pretty much become bullying everyone else. So they allowed it this time." Koyuki continued. "In particular, there's a very good player on the team this time. He is known for his amazing motor skills and physique. I think his name was...umm...uhh..."

"Sendagaya Tetsu." Ryuusei muttered darkly.

"Right! ...Umm...anyway, they came for a practice match with Ryuu-chan's team a month ago and...It didn't exactly turn out as they hoped...? Plus, their star player is almost a whole foot taller than him. So Ryuu-chan is really mad."

"I'm not mad!" The aforementioned blond shot back hotly. "I only wanna beat that uppity middle school telephone pole into the ground!"

"...Of course you aren't..." The trio replied in sync.

"You think I'm lying?! Traitors!" Ryuusei fumed. "I can see it in your eyes, you non-believing jerks! Just wait till next week's revenge match, then I'll show all of you!!"

* **RING RING RING** *

For better or worse, the warning bell rang right at that time. Putting their _fascinating_ discussion on hold, the quartet packed up their stuff and hurried back to their respective classrooms.

 

* * *

 

For many students, having to sit through an hour of math right after lunch is a higher (and legal) form of cruel and unusual punishment. Now, imagine sitting through math with an almost-certainly insane teacher who cares about math and humans just as much as you do about that subject (read: not at all). Welcome to the current situation of Class 1-C.

"If you turn to page 259, you'll find the lesson on quadratic equations. Read it yourself and answer those questions on the board in 30 minutes. Anyone with less than 80 gets the honor of _helping_ me out with my new experiment today."

The students protested loudly. "No fair! How about actually teaching us for once, Johannes-sensei?!"

"Do I look like I want to?" Johannes shot back. "If you have any questions, ask someone who cares. I'll be busy with my next _scientific breakthrough_."

Opening up his briefcase, the bespectacled nurse pulled out a handful of suspicious vials and equipment. Without sparing another glance to his class, he quickly immersed himself in his work with a sinister smile. "This time, I'll make a super-laxative to flush that fake science teacher straight out of **my** rightful position."

The class looked around apprehensively before leaping into action, desperate for some way to get the correct answers as if their lives depended on it. (It probably did.)

Sakuya shook his head at the apocalyptic scene around him. Cracking open his textbook, he began to slowly and steadily work through the assigned problems.

"Psst...Sakuya...Sakuyaaaaaaa..."

The green-haired boy jolted up in his chair, looking left and right frantically. _Why here?! Tsu—!!_

"Sakuya!" Hyde waved his hand wildly, sprawled lazily over his desk.

"Oh. It's just you..." Sakuya let out the breath he was holding and relaxed in his chair.

"How rude! Who else could it be other than your amazing best friend (from within this classroom)?"

"........................No one."

"Anyway," Hyde continued on. "I need your help, math whiz! I can feel my brain cells dying from staring at those problems!"

"Aren't you the one who always goes on about how meaningless it is to put effort in and stuff? Why the sudden motivation?"

"Well yeah, it's true. Why but it's a different matter if Johannes is involved. There is no way I'll be dragged into....whatever he's doing up there!"

The two teens snuck a glance at their math teacher, who was currently laughing maniacally at a vial of smoking orange liquid. In fact, he looked so disturbing that the vial itself was sweating under his crazed look.

Oh wait, nevermind. It's just condensation on the glass. (Science!)

The green-haired teen sighed tiredly. "Fine. But you owe me for this...again."

"I knew I could count on you, partner!"

 

* * *

 

After a long, grueling confrontation against every letter and number that could possibly be squared, factored or reduced to primes, Sakuya and Hyde leaned tiredly back on their chairs. Along with everyone else who had finished their worksheet in some way or another, they took a well-deserved break while watching the rest continue to suffer. 

Reaching for his phone, the green-haired teen decided to text his best friend (from beyond this classroom).

 

* * *

MAMAhiru (๑•ૅㅁ•๑)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

_hello from the other side_

_of the hall :)_

_Sakuya, why do you have your phone out in class?_

_thats the 1st thing you say to your bestie after all this time_

_im hurt_

_:(_

_plus you do too_

_I talked to you at lunch on Monday! And I have it out because YOU’RE texting me_

_its been 48hrs 10mins 35 sec since then_

_37s_

_40_

_Sakuya! Please stop texting and pay attention in class! Do you want to get into  
detention again?_

_eh hanging out with World End beats what im doing now_

_Don't you have math right now? You shouldn't slack off..._

_done ages ago and watching Johannes prepping for murder_

_What?!_

_he melted a dolls head with a cup of_

_...uh_

_..._

_something_

_now he put it into a thermos with the sci teachers name on it_ __  
  


_… What!!_

_1 of those looks like rat poison_

_huh didnt know a cup could explode like that_

_WHAT?!_

_now_

_how much of that was a lie ;)_

_Sakuya!!_

_Don't scare me like that!_

_and u left us to starve at lunch again :(_

_so were even now_

_Sakuya..._

_u know Ryuusei & I were looking fwd to the fried chicken all week_

_I'm really sorry for not spending enough time with you guys lately._

_Wait._

_You’re only mad because of the fried chicken?!_

_u know what they say_

_deny a man his food_

_ur so screwed_

_I've never heard that saying before._

_thats cuz I made it up just now_

_Mahiru?_

_hellooo?_

_I can't deal with this right now..._

_oh yea u have english_

_break a leg_

_Thanks..?_

_I'll lend u a shoulder to cry on later_

_Actually Sakuya..._

_I won't be walking back with you today either._

_I have a meeting afterschool._

_BETRAYAL_

_I expect a batch of brownies to heal my sad broken  
heart tomorrow_

_It's not the baking club._

_so the sewing club asking for your expertise this time?_

_It's not actually a club at all._

_I'm just helping out a few friends._

_which friends_

_should I be worried? :O_

_They're just some people I met around school recently. Maybe we can all get  
together sometime and I can introduce you. I have a feeling you would get  
along great._

* * *

   
  
---  
  
 

Sakuya stared at the screen with a small frown.

"This again..." He muttered quietly. "What's so great about a lazy troublemaker anyway?"

"Hm? You say something Sakuya?" Hyde piped up, sliding his own phone back into his bag.

"It's nothing."

"By the way, do you have any plans tonight?"

"Why?"

"Do I need to have a reason to hang out with my partner-in-crime?" Hyde pouted.

"I get the feeling that you either got ditched again, or you're planning to do something incredibly stupid."

"Why not both? Since our club is cancelled today, I figured it would be the perfect time to take the 5 Minute Sundae Mountain Challenge."

"Well, it was nice knowing you. Rest in frozen pieces."

"Aww come on! I was hoping you would help me out!"

"Unlike you, I actually value my life and my stomach. But I'll come along to laugh and dragging your miserable self out of there."

"Huh. To be honest, I didn't think you'd agree. Don't you usually go home with your middle school friends? That or you drift off to god-knows-where by yourself."

"Don't talk like I'm a lost kid. And it's called _club activities_ , something you should be very familiar with." Sakuya shot back with a frown. "Plus, Mahiru too busy helping his new _super-secret friends that I've never heard of_ to do anything about it. He's hiding something from me. Something big, I just know it."

"Huh. Now that I think about it, that sounds really similar to Lichtan." Hyde blinked.

"Considering that you have to hunt him down every day to bring him to the club, it's not exactly shocking." Sakuya shrugged. "I've gotta say, his wandering tendencies are second to none."

"Not that part! I mean the thing about going off with some friends that I've never heard of before."

"Oh that." Now that he thought about it, he vaguely recalled a few times where he spotted Mahiru and his recent parasite (Kuro) heading to the 1-A classroom. Once in a while, there would be a telltale white-winged backpack peeking out from their group.

 _Mahiru together with the infamous vengeful angel? How did that happen? And what could they possibly be doing together with Kuro of all people?_ Sakuya wondered. He decided that he would get to the bottom of this somehow or another.

"Hey Hyde. Have you noticed anything weird about your crazy angel whenever he runs off to...wherever he goes?"

"Hold up. What do you mean by **my** crazy—"

"Remember that time you called him Angel Cakes through the PA system?" Sakuya pointed out. "I'm pretty sure the entire student body thinks that after now. I'm pretty sure there’s something floating around online somewhere..."

"OH MY G— That was **one** time!" Hyde protested loudly. "You can't even imagine how I felt when Wrath barged into the room glaring at us and muttering about boats or something!"

"You're probably thinking of _ships_..."

"I dunno, maybe?" Hyde shrugged. "Anyway what does that even mean?"

"Eh....You're better off not knowing..." Sakuya muttered suspiciously. "........for the sake of the fourth wall...."

"It's not nice to keep secrets from friends, you know!" Hyde pouted. "Plus, how do _you_ of all people know anything about this anyway?"

"I have a sister with Tumblr. Fangirl tendencies are nothing I haven’t seen before... Now can you finally answer my original question?" Sakuya sighed.

"What was it again? Oh right." The blond tapped his head pensively. "Well, Angel-chan is always a bit weird, but recently he keeps talking about a 'Mr.Cat'? I don't remember him meeting a cat in school. I mean two turtles, a nest of birds, my hedgehog and that one puppy, sure. But when'd he find a cat?"

"...Should I be amazed or disturbed that you know all that..."

"It comes with the job of being Angel-chan's _unofficial_ babysitter." Hyde replied with a shrug. "Speaking of which, there was one time where Angel-chan came to the club wearing a blue hoodie with black fur for some reason. No one had any idea where he picked it up from. We basically just hung it on a pole outside the clubroom hoping the owner would pick it up after."

"Did they actually?"

"I guess so? It wasn't there the next morning."

"How totally irresponsible of you."

"Oh shut up!"

 _Wait a minute._ Sakuya halted, as a sudden realization hit. _There's only one person that struts around in a blue hoodie around these parts..._

"...Again with Kuro." The green-haired teen stated with a scowl.

"Huh? What'd you say?"

"Kuro in 1-B. He's the one behind everything. He must have tricked those two into doing something shady." Sakuya continued with an increasingly sharp glare at his poor desk. "To be fair, those two _can_ be pretty gullible sometimes. All it takes is some melons and a half-decent sob story to get them to fall for it hook, line and sinker. Mahiru's too naive sometimes. Why doesn't he ever listen to other people's warnings? If he gets Mahiru involved in anything illegal, I swear I'm gonna come after him with a chainsaw. Mahiru needs to—...Mahiru and—...Mahiru—"

"Hold up, hold up. Sorry to cut off your creepy muttering but...Kuro, that slouchy, lazy, gloomy guy?" The blond asked. Sakuya was startled out of his ramblings and looked up.

"Yeah, you know him?"

"Unfortunately, he's a bit... _hard to forget_. We went to the same summer camp on top of a random mountain." Hyde explained. "It was the Summer Educational Retreat Valuing Academic Merit  & Proficiency or SERVAMP for short. The place was run by some rich guy obsessed with learning and literature. My parents figured that it might help my grades or something and threw me there. Not that it did much...."

"Weird name...but I feel like I've heard it before..."

"Well, it _was_ all over the news a couple years back." Hyde prompted.

"That huge scandal about a teacher attempting questionable experiments on his students, right?" The green-haired teen exclaimed. ".....Wait, so that means..."

"Yeah, I was there." Hyde nodded, but his voice was free of his usual joking tone. "Those ridiculous news reports were full of nothing but lies. Sensei was no criminal. He was just a good man who wanted to change the world, but ended up betrayed and ridiculed."

Sakuya started cautiously. "...Don't tell me...Kuro was actually the mastermind behind the inhuman acts and framed the teacher?!"

"Mastermi— You honestly think he's smart enough for something like that?"

"True. So what did he do then?"

"Listen closely," Hyde leaned over his desk with a serious expression, speaking in a low voice (for dramatic effect). "For this is the story of how a kind man who wanted to better the world got backstabbed by one he called family."

Before Sakuya could respond, the classroom lights suddenly turned off, bathing the room in surprised yelps and angry complaints.

Just as unexpectedly, a spotlight appeared from nowhere on top of Hyde, who was now standing on his desk with a notebook in hand.

"Once upon a time—"

 

* * *

  

.

.

.

.

.

The entire classroom was bathed in silence. A moment ago, everyone was moving about in Johannes' math class. Now, it was as if they were trapped in an old photograph, motionless and monochromatic. 

"Now’s probably the time to apologize for the author's constant disappearing acts and terrible work ethic. I'm sure you've noticed the apparent lack of summaries and author's notes earlier."

In the midst of blacks, whites and grays, a lone teen with lettuce green hair sighed and stood up.

"You know, there was supposed to be a really long flashback/backstory reveal here." Sakuya motioned towards the frozen blond standing on the desk while walking forward. "Yeah, completely out of nowhere, and super long to boot. And then suddenly decides to cut it out again. Typical lack of planning from the author."

As he weaved through the rows of desks, no one seemed to notice him. Johannes had a maniacal grin on his face. The cup of liquid before him had become a thick, bubbling teal.

Further back, Hyde stood with his arms raised dramatically in the air, his expressions vivid and dramatic.

Sakuya turned forward with a tired expression. "If we let this story play out here, this chapter would have been pushed back to _at least_ August... considering her usual progress. I mean, who in their right mind thinks the weekday commute is the best place to write stories?"

Reaching into his uniform jacket, Sakuya produced a small black remote from his pocket. He clicked a button and static streaked across the room. Everything around the green-haired teen began to move in a very quick and choppy way. If someone was paying very careful attention, there was a faint image of two sideways triangles to the right side above them.

"Feel free to complain about this to her after this is over." The green-haired teen shrugged nonchalantly, with a flash of deviousness in his eyes. "Bring the pitchforks and everything. Hopefully she'll finally stop playing mobile games all the time...and pushing off the announcement duties to me."

Satisfied with his work, Sakuya slowly walked back towards his seat, where his blond friend was now gesturing wildly at inhuman speeds on top of the desk.

"This should be enough stalling. Even Hyde's backstory can't possibly be _this_ long, right? We should be getting back into the story now." Sakuya slid back into his seat and carefully schooled his expression back into its previous surprised state. "... Just to be safe, I'll fast forward a bit more. I'll read the flashback reveal chapter with you guys next time."

With a press of a button, everything stopped. Color slowly returned to the surroundings.

"Now, where's that switch for the line break..."

.

.

.

.

.

 

* * *

 

"—The end."

"Hyde..." Sakuya began slowly. "I've been meaning to ask...What even is that on your notebook?"

"Wasn't it obvious?" The blond blinked. "They're illustrations. To enhance the storytelling experience. Same with the Dramatic Spotlight Drone™ I borrowed from Tinker."

 _Well that explains the sudden blackout and light coming from nowhere. Seriously, where do they get the funds for all this?_ Sakuya shook his head in exasperation. _More importantly...what on earth was he even drawing?!_

On the large notebook, there was a large brown box in the middle of a sea of greens and beige. There was a small orange... carrot (?) in the bottom right corner beside a badly drawn top hat. All in all, the page looked like the end result of a 2 year old having too much time and a paint roller in hand. And crayons, naturally.

"What are you talking about? This is clearly a picture of * ** _SPOILER ALERT_** *! And that's me and Hugh at the bottom there!"

 _Good thing the remote has a censor function._ Sakuya thought as he stealthily slid it back into his pocket. _And it's not the obnoxious beeping noise too. Maybe I should use it more often..._

"If you say so..." Sakuya shrugged. "At least it's clear why you're in drama instead of art."

"Like you can talk, Mr. Photography." Hyde countered. "At least I make amazing props for the drama club. I bet you're even worse than me."

"Loser buys the other yakisoba bread for a week?"

"You're on."

The two shook hands, smirking.

"So anyway, whatcha gonna do about Kuro hanging around your friend?"

"Huh?"

"Didn't you pay attention to my riveting retelling at all? That guy is no good. He got worse since coming here too. I hear he sometimes comes to school with bloodshot eyes and bandaged hands. People also saw him pull a box cutter and creepy notes out of his bag."

 _Well, I actually skipped all of it. Still, Hyde's got a point. Mahiru is way too trusting of people. He'll end up in big trouble like this._ Sakuya sighed internally. _That means I'll have to erase the problem at its root._

"I'm gonna take down Kuro." The green-haired teen announced determinedly. "If I can find out what he's up to, I can get Mahiru out!"

"...You're planning on _blackmailing_ him?" Hyde blinked.

"If it gets to that... Anyway, you in?"

"Sure, why not? Sounds like an interesting way to kill time."

The two teens high-fived with matching diabolical grins in the middle of the packed classroom. If any other students noticed their suspicious behaviour, they didn't speak a word of it.

Sitting back down at their desks, Sakuya and Hyde began mentally forming plans while waiting impatiently for the class to end.

 

* * *

 

 * **RING RING RING** *

After what felt like an eternity, the students were finally free from the clutches of the high school education system for the day. Johannes swiftly gathered his beloved _equipment_ and left for his office before the class could even pack their books. In comparison, the exhausted members of 1-C slowly trickled out of the room. The unfortunate students chosen to test one of the nurse's bizarre concoctions felt a burst of courage and heavy nausea fill them from within. Leaning on their friends for support, they staggered out the door with ashen faces.

For the time being, the two jokesters decided to split up and gather information (read: be a stalker) on their friends and their supposedly secret plans.

Filled with determination, Sakuya shot out of the classroom with his bag in tow. He weaved swiftly through the growing river of students in the hallway towards classroom 1-B.

_Just wait Mahiru! I won't let you stay in the evil clutches of that lazy bum any longer!_

Peeking over the exiting students, Sakuya could spot a familiar head of brown hair in the far corner of the other's classroom. Unsurprisingly, he was standing beside Kuro's desk with his hands on his hips.

_That pose...he must be in Mamahiru mode._

With a sharp tug, Mahiru dragged a reluctant Kuro up and out of his seat.

 _Shoot! They're heading this way! I gotta hide!!_ Sakuya quickly dashed behind the open door, just as the pair approached. If they had looked to their left, they would have spotted what looked like a suspicious tree peeking out from behind the window of the door. Fortunately for said spiky-tipped _tree_ , the two were too immersed in their own conversation to notice.

 _Safe._ Sakuya sighed in relief. _Now to find out what they're talking about._

"—take care of Suzuki today—!" Mahiru's voice carried through the doorway. "Licht-san—join us for—this!!"

"—have the right tools—" Kuro groaned. "—killers and melons."

"—everything finished—"

"—destruction—...there can be no survivors..."

"—I know— get a knife—"

"—the dead—don't—"

"—We don't have time—go!"

The two teens disappeared around a corner, leaving a shocked Sakuya standing at the door.

_.........WHAT?!!_

 

* * *

 

"—kuya!"

"—ey Sakuya!"

"WAKE UP!!"

"Huh—?!" Sakuya jumped at the sound of someone yelling by his head. Cradling his abused ear, he turned to glare at his assaulter. "What?!"

"Welcome back to the land of the living~" Hyde grinned teasingly. "How was your trip?"

"What's that supposed to mean." Sakuya shot the blond a dark look.

"Hmm, I don't know... Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you've been standing there like a statue for the past...hmm...10 minutes or so?"

Sakuya blinked in surprise. _It's been HOW LONG?!_

Unaware of the green-head's inner turmoil, Hyde casually lifted his arms behind his head. "So, how'd your investigation go? I almost made it to Lichtan's classroom before he left, but I was caught by The Mother. She was looking for volunteers to manage the gardens again."

"Wait a minute." Sakuya interjected, one skeptical eyebrow raised. "If that's true, how are you _here_? No one gets away from The Mother or the Gardening Club. Ever. Her loyal guard would sooner hack you to pieces with a gardening hoe than let you escape."

The gardening club was made up of a handful of students dedicated to taking care of the many gardens, hedges and that one random vegetable field scattered across the school grounds. With so few members, they are constantly at risk of being shut down...or they would be if there was someone brave enough to confront The Mother's deadly glare and her special teacher's brand of strictness for long enough to tell them that. Still, what they lacked in numbers, the club made up for in unshakable loyalty to their group and staff advisor. If anyone was dumb enough to make an enemy of the gardening club, the students in the club would probably use nothing short of near-murder as retaliation.

For that very reason, the gardening club is a powerful and fearsome force to be reckoned with. Anyone who is caught by The Mother to _help out_ or _do a trial run_ in the club would find it near impossible to escape, at least without probable psychological (and maybe physical) damage. It would take a miracle to get out unscathed.

"About that..." Hyde scratched his cheek sheepishly. "I got lucky I guess? I told her that I had something important to do."

"And she let you go just like that?" Sakuya asked in disbelief.

"Well... I _may_ have played it up a bit and alluded to a life-or-death situation involving Lichtan and some heinous criminals. To be fair, the underlying premise is still pretty much spot-on." Hyde shrugged. "Like always, she glared at me for a while after. Then she pushed me forward and yelled at me to hurry up with a heroic rescue or something. It was both terrifying and confusing as heck."

"Somehow, I still find that hard to believe..." Sakuya rolled his eyes. _Who would've thought the scariest teacher in our school is a shipper on deck? ...I've been spending too much time around fangirls lately..._

"Oh, and what did _you_ accomplish?" Hyde huffed. "Surely you did more than stand around in front of the door like a statue, _right_?"

"That's right!" Sakuya exclaimed, as he sped towards the front entrance. "I have to hurry, Mahiru's in danger!"

"Wait up—!!" The blond yelled out to the now-vacated hallway. "Got ditched twice in one afternoon. That's a new record. And I have no idea where either of them went either..."

Hyde shrugged to himself. "I still have some time before my shift. Well, there's no point in going around trying to find them like this. Seriously, those two can get so exhaustingly hot-blooded sometimes..."

With an exasperated sigh, the blond strolled down the hallway with no particular destination in mind.

 

* * *

 

"Hyde." A voice came from a semi-opened set of large wooden doors to his left. Peering through the gap was a bespectacled young man with choppy, brown hair. A small white sign hung above the door said 'Library' in bold, dark text. "Good timing. I have something to discuss with you."

"Geh, it's the Prez! How rare to see you without your beloved paperwork! Prowling the school for people running in the hallways today?" Hyde spun around to face the other with a theatrical bow. "Sorry to disappoint, but I haven't done any petty crimes today. Well, nothing you can prove anyway."

The teen adjusted his glasses with an unamused expression. "It has come to my attention that you have quite a number of overdue fines under your name."

"Oh, really? Thanks for telling me!" Hyde yelled cheerily and started down the hallway once again. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to do..."

Before he could get away, Hyde found himself harshly pulled back by a tight grip on his scarf. Coughing, the blond turned to see a hand grabber tugging on the black fabric.

"Fortunately, I was prepared for the possibility that you would attempt to escape. As student council president, I will not overlook this clear disregard of your responsibilities as a student."

The brown-haired male began dragging a protesting Hyde into the depths of the library.

With a strangled cry, the blond disappeared into the dark room. The dimmed lights flickered and curtains flapped at the newcomers. The heavy double-doors slowly slid shut behind him with an ominous creak, sealing his fate.

 

* * *

 

"Haah....finally free." Hyde sighed tiredly. "Today just isn't my lucky day."

After being hauled into the ominous realm of the library, the blond was subject to an hour of lectures about 'proper behavior as a young adult within the functioning society of the school environment'. Also, the last of his money was taken by the smug-looking librarian.

"Now I'm practically as broke as Wor-kun." Hyde complained while he stumbled through the maze of bookshelves.

In his peripheral, Hyde spotted the soft glow of a computer screen flickered atop a row of desks. A webpage brimming with sparkles and bright red flowers remained open at a brightness that could blind a lesser person in this dim room...

"Huh?" Hyde approached with curiosity. "Isn't this the school newspaper's website?"

The school newspaper was something of an urban legend in the school. It was not an official club approved by the student council, and not many knew who was behind it. Operating mainly through the website, the newspaper offered the latest updates on school events as well as its flourishing rumor mill. Of course, what really made them famous (or infamous) was their advice column/request box.

Camellia's Column was famous for helping others with their problems. Anything from searching for a mysterious person within the school following a fateful collision around a corner to uncovering a scandal between teacher and student, the advice column would heed the desperate pleas of students...for a price.

No one knew who the person behind Camellia was. Some claimed the person on the other side of the screen was a cool detective beauty with razor sharp wits and burning sense of righteousness. Others claimed it was a kind-hearted angel with a voice like bell's chime that can calm down a rampaging bull. Many have tried to catch a glimpse of the online personality, but no one had yet to succeed.

"Hey, this could help!" With a spark of inspiration, Hyde quickly pulled out his phone to message his partner-in-crime.

 

* * *

Sa-tan

_HEY SAKUYA_

_I just came across something good_

_ill send u the link_

 

* * *

   
  
---  
  
 

A harmless-looking URL was sent to the green-haired teen. Unbeknownst to the two friends, it would soon kick-start a series of events involving a cluster of misunderstandings, excessive stress and various students' school lives descending into chaos.

 

* * *

 

*** **OMAKE** ***

 

Mahiru pulled Kuro out of the classroom with a huff. Class had been over for a while now, so surely the remaining two of their manga team must be wondering where they were. 

"Come on, Kuro! We have to meet up with Licht-san and Misono at the front gate, remember?"

"...Can't we just leave it until tomorrow...or the next day....or the next one..." The hooded teen dragged his feet and sighed as if he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"What are you saying?! Of course we can't!" Mahiru exclaimed. "We need to take care of Suzuki today; otherwise we can't finish the school scenes! Licht-san can't join us for the next two weeks because of piano recitals after this!!"

"...No good...we don't have the right tools..." Kuro mumbled. "...Like...yeah... Exacto-knives and screen tone... and painkillers...and melons."

"I _know_ you have enough to get through one session, Kuro." Mahiru replied flatly. "I'm the one who cleaned your room after all. I'm sure we can get everything finished if we all work together!"

"...Don't you realize the danger...if we run out of melons with Angel-chan here?" Kuro pointed out.  When all he got in return was a confused stare, he sighed and elaborated. "You've seen the destruction he is capable of firsthand...there can be no survivors..."

"That's...not true... I'm sure we can reason with him..." Even Mahiru sounded rather unsure of his own words as they left his mouth. There really was no guarantee of what would happen if the self-proclaimed angel was forcibly separated something he wants, be it melons or his beloved backpack.

"...If not, the devil is going to kill us for not doing a good enough job for him...with _underleveled_ equipment..."

"Are you talking about Yumikage-san?" His companion shrugged noncommittally.

Mahiru sighed in resignation. "Fine. If you're so worried about it, we can all stop by the mall on the way. I know a place to get a knife and other equipment we'll need for a reasonable price."

"....Weren't you the one complaining about the deadline just now...? We don't have time or energy to walk around..."

"We don't have time to stand around here, either! Let's go, Kuro!"

With renewed vigor, the brown-haired boy tugged on his classmate's arm and marched forward. Paying no mind to the strange fixture resembling a palm tree peeking out from behind the door, the two quickly headed through the crowded hallway towards the gates.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey...Sakuya here. I'm here for endnote duty too, I guess. 
> 
> Now what does that stupid note say... 'hope this chapter was enough to tide over a 6 month wait. sorry'.
> 
> Seriously, you all should make use of that box right below to give her a piece of your mind. And tell her to stop making me do all this work. I'm sure her and Tsubaki-san are hiding somewhere laughing at my misery right now.
> 
> Yeah...I guess I'll be seeing you all again next time, where we go through that whole backstory flashback. How fun. 
> 
> Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be going to find Mahiru. I need a break from all this craziness.


End file.
